I am Vampire
by NazoDi
Summary: On the verge of death, a man is asked a simple yes or no question by a girl with strange wings. Laughing the question off as some joke, he gives the girl his answer. Now he finds himself in a mystical world, forced to juggle between adapting to the new reality he's been flung into and unwillingly playing the servant of his new lord and master: Remilia Scarlet.
1. Prologue Moonlit Death

_**Rated M for Graphic violence and language and mature themes of all kinds.**_

 _Disclaimer: All characters belong to their respective owners._

* * *

Have you ever wondered when it would be your time to die? Probably not and I'm no different. It's simply not something we average people think about, always being blissfully ignorant of our own mortality, until the day comes without the courtesy of a heads up. Death is supposed to be what closes the book to our individual stories, but for me, death was what opened up my book.

* * *

The combination of a typical night of drinking, the usual idiocy of joy riding and the finely timed arrival of a random wanderer – an odd ghost of a woman with an unusual hair color– and it was only a matter of time before I found myself in the shadow of Death himself. So cold was his presence, but at least someone was there to witness my end. Nothing could be worse than dying alone.

 _Fuck… Nearly hit somebody…_

I lay with my back to the trunk of a tree, a dark, lush forest spinning in front of me. Broken glass and some scraps of metal were scattered here and there, but my prized motorcycle was nowhere to be seen. The spinning forest slowly ceased its spinning, giving me a chance to look for my motorcycle. I'm sure my baby was completely trashed, but I wanted to see her anyways, even if it would bring me to tears.

 _How far was I thrown from it?_

I tried moving my neck, but a sting of pain shot out from it and ran down my spine, stopping at my pelvis. Speaking of my pelvis, I couldn't feel anything below it. I think it was safe to say that my back had been crushed at some point during my freakish trip down the steep hill. Honestly can't say I was lucky to still be alive. My nightmare of being paralyzed for life was becoming a terrifyingly real possibility. But that possibility was washed away when I looked down at my stomach.

"Aw, for r-real? D-Damn it…" I managed to get some words out after a little struggle to push air out of my lungs.

A bloody tree branch. That's what was sticking out right through my stomach. And it didn't even hurt all that much. Probably because my nervous system was wrecked from being thrown down a steep, rocky hill. The alcohol was probably helping out also. Can't forget to mention that.

 _I need a cigarette…_

I felt a bit relieved. The chances of someone finding me so far out in the wilderness before I bled out were pretty damn slim so there was no worry about being a cripple for the rest of my life anymore. But… It sucked. It sucked because I was going to die. Die alone out here in the middle of fucking nowhere. No one by my side. No one holding my hand or whatever. Just me, myself and I. Well, there was always nature to keep me company until I bit the big one. I could hear an owl not too far off, just hooing up a storm.

I bet I could guess what it was saying. Something along the lines of " _Way to go, dumn fuck! Wanna try that stunt again? Oh, wait! You can't because ya gonna fuckn' die! Ya retarded schmuck!"_ Yup. That sounds about right.

I was shaking badly. I had already lost a lot of blood and now I was shivering from the loss of heat in my veins. It was kind of cool seeing how freely my own blood flowed out of the big hole in my gut, in a dark, morbid kind of way. It flowed off to the side then coated the green grass with its redness. I just watched it flow like a little stream while listening to the wind blow through the trees around me. I put my hand in it, soaked it in the slippery red liquid then held it up to look at it. It was oddly fascinating to see so much of my own blood. I was actually in a really peaceful state of mind, the only thing to worry about was some asshole wolf or bear showing up and chowing down on me.

 _I wonder if I could crawl back up to the road…_

I still had the lingering instinct to survive so I made a small attempt to move and once I did, a sharp pain pulsated from my back. I sat there for about a minute just groaning from the pain. It was worth a shot at least.

The pain from trying to move faded and my vision was beginning to fade as well.

 _I'm seriously going to die out here…_

I felt calmer the more I realized the unfortunate fact – I was going to die. The worst thing about this is that I have nothing to show for it. I just didn't have the chance to actually accomplish anything. A bullshit end, I must say. Complete and utter bullshit. But I only had myself to blame and that made it even more pathetic.

I moved my gaze to the sky. There was an opening in the canopy of the forest and right in the night sky was the full moon. A _red_ full moon to be exact. A creepy coincidence – to die on the same night of a red moon. But it gave me something cool to stare at before I finally croaked.

To be honest, this night felt like it was a good night to die.

 _But I don't want to die…_

Darkness began to descend all around me. At first I thought that the clouds were making their way across the bright moon, dampening the glow it casted down on the earth, but that wasn't it.

Death was coming. It had finally come. My mind slowly numbed as the world grew darker. It was true what they say; your life really does flash before your eyes right before you die. Sadly, it didn't take long for my life to finish playing in my waning vision. It was a short life, but a sweet one at least. Short, but sweet…

The light drifted away from me, pushed back by the coming darkness. The sound of leaves blowing in the wind and the hoos of the only witness to my death – my compadre the owl – became distant and quiet.

 _Such a shit way to die…_

I was now resigned to my fate and I slowly closed my eyes, thanking whoever was listening for the relatively peaceful death. But my peaceful death was delayed. It was interrupted by a sudden swooshing sound. The sound startled my eyes open and scared the darkness, forcing it to retreat for the time being.

I involuntarily breathed in then held it. What I saw standing before me left my jaw hanging stupidly.

It was the most inconceivable thing ever. I went wide-eyed and what extremely little faith in God I had increased a hundred times. I could not believe what my eyes were conveying to me. Surely, it was the fact that I had lost a lot of blood that I was simply hallucinating, right? It had to be. No way was the thing standing before me actually real.

From the vastness of the night sky appeared a small person. A rather short individual, but, strangely, she seemed to tower over me. She – as in the person was a girl – was awfully pretty with an awe inspiring aura around her. Her hair was a sparkling light-blue that flowed to the tops of her shoulders. Her face was beautifully white and very nice to look at, but her eyes… Man, those eyes. They were glowing crimson red. They were sucking me in. The pupils were definitely not human. Demon-like is the only word I could think of to describe them even though the rest of her was far from that of any demon I've seen. Except for one other part of her…

She had wings. This girl had wings in the back of her. They reminded me of wings of a bat. They looked utterly cool, to be honest. They didn't look like they were attached to her shoulder blades like I thought they would be, though. Instead, the roots of the wings looked like they connected to her lower back. It made anatomical sense for them to be attached there than to the shoulders when I thought about it.

Her wings stayed opened up so I could see the dress she was wearing. I usually don't care for fashion, but her black, slightly-frilly dress looked amazing on her. She wore some sort of black cap with a red ribbon tied around it. The dark forest behind her magnified her enigmatic appearance. Quite frankly, she was wearing the part for the role I was suspecting her to be playing here.

But was this winged person really who I thought she was? Was she really here to collect my soul? Was she really… the Angel of Death? Who else could she possibly be? Sure, she could be just some random kid with a kickass costume who forgot that Halloween was months ago, but… I couldn't help but think that she was here for me. Was she? Or was I just overthinking it? I had to know so I gathered what strength – and courage – that I still had and spoke up.

"Wh-Wha- uhg…" I could barely get the blasted words out. It hurt. I exhaled then drew in another breath and tried again. "Who-Who a-a-are-"

"Be quiet. Don't say anything. The more you say the quicker you die," the Angel of Death said.

Her voice was like a course of angels to my ears. It sounded a bit childish, but I'm no fool. This person was far from being a child. That aura she was giving off said so and it threatened to crush anyone who dared to say otherwise.

She took a step towards me, her pale face expressionless. One leg glided elegantly in front of the other and she took a second step towards me. I actually started to feel a sense of fear. I don't know where it came from, but it didn't take too long to grow in my enfeebled heart and jump start it.

 _Could I still save myself? If I fight her off… will I be able to live?_

The insane thought popped into my mind and it held onto me. The idea that I still had the chance to live put me into the _flight or fight_ stance. Call me crazy, but I don't believe it's over until it's over and as far as I could tell, I was still breathing, my heart still beat and my soul was still mine. If I had any chance at saving my life then I was going to bloody take it!

I grabbed a hold of the bloody branch and started to pull. I screamed out from the paralyzing pain. I tried to get up, painfully reminding myself that my back was broken. I nearly passed out from the agony and sat there gasping for air with cold sweat running down my face.

 _Welp… I'm screwed._

The Angel of Death took a few steps closer to me. Now she was standing over me, her eyes moving to take a look at the bloody hole in my gut before quickly losing interest in it. Her red eyes then sat on mine, sending a ghostly chill down my spine.

"Don't be scared. Dying is something all humans must do at some point in their life," she said in a surprisingly soothing tone.

Maybe she wasn't one of those cruel kinds of Angels of Death? Maybe she was the kind that helps the dying along by calming them? Seriously, I feel like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. Sure, the girl was probably here to drag me to Hell, but she was so damn pretty. No matter where I was going after this, I was seriously going to fist-bump the first other dead person I ran into.

"You were thrown quite far from that machine you were riding, young man. If you weren't bleeding, I probably would not have been able to find you," she said. She breathed in deeply through her nostrils, her eyes glowing brighter for a brief moment as she, oddly, seemed to enjoy whatever smell it was that she caught.

 _She ain't smelling my blood, is she?_

"Who are- Ahg!" I tried again to ask who she was, but more pain from my stomach quickly shut me up. I had to know who this girl was. I just had to know! Not knowing is what was going to be the end of me.

"Who I am is of no importance to you, young man," the Angel said. She peered deep into my eyes, stunning me still and silent. "You are going to die. That is a fate that is set in stone. Nothing will change that now."

Well, I wasn't surprised to hear that. But the question is: Why is she here? Is she the Angel of Death or not?

"A-Are you… the Angel of Death?" I finally managed to get the question out. I felt dizzy just from asking the question. I blinked several times to get my blurred vision back to normal, only succeeding a little.

The Angel's eyes widened, apparently surprised with my question. She then smirked before letting out a laugh. A cute laugh I should add.

"Oh my! No, my dear boy. No, that is not what I am. But…" she said then crouched down to get closer to eye level with me, her knees to her chest.

Okay… So she's not the Angel of Death. A bit of a letdown, but whatever. I can live with that. But if she's not the Angel of Death then just what the hell is she? Is she just a figment of my imagination or an actual person? I think I was starting to lose my mind, assuming I hadn't started to already.

"If you want me to be your Angel of Death, I kindly will be. But I was thinking about being something else. Like…" She pressed her pointer finger to the side of her chin and looked off to the side, going off into thought. "Oh, I don't know… Savior, I suppose?"

 _Pfft! Say what?_

It was a bit daunting to hear her say that she could be my Savior. Two seconds ago she was saying that I was going to die no matter what. So which was it? Does she even know?

The girl moved her gaze back to me then rested her chin on her knees. "That sounds about right, actually." She grinned happily. "I am here to be either your Angel of Death or your Savior. All you need to do is answer one simple question."

I just looked at her all confused. So far this death went from peaceful to just plain weird all in the span of a few minutes. I didn't know what to say to the girl. I wanted to live, sure. But how the hell was she going to be my _Savior_?

"I am going to ask you a question and all you have to do is answer yes… or no. Simple, yes?" she said.

Did I really have anything better to do besides just lay here and die? Obviously not so I nodded to her. She smiled brightly at me in return.

 _Are those fangs I see?_

Her smile stayed only for a short moment before she put on a serious expression. That serious look of hers made my heart beat a little louder. Her gaze was supernatural.

"Will you become a vampire and serve me for the rest of your existence?"

Her question left me staring at her in bewilderment. Did she seriously just say _vampire_? I couldn't believe it. This girl had seriously just asked me if I wanted to become a vampire. Now I knew for sure that I was high off of blood loss.

I couldn't help myself and started to laugh hoarsely and hard. And, man, did it hurt like hell to laugh. It no longer mattered who or what the girl was. She had just made my night and that's all that mattered. Because of her, I could now die laughing. Literally!

The girl didn't seem to find it funny at all, going by the rather unpleasant look she was giving me. But the way she was looking at me didn't help. It made me laugh harder! It was just too damn funny not to laugh at. I was smacking the ground uncontrollably, the pain shooting throughout my body not even enough to stop the laughter. I was quickly brought to tears.

"You think this is some kind of joke…" the girl mumbled indignantly then looked away in a pout. "I offer you the opportunity that I have never given someone before and all you do is laugh at it…"

 _Good god, she's cute!_

I started to feel a little bad for laughing so I took a deep breath and held it in in order to quiet myself.

A sudden strike of pain into my heart forced the clown out of me. I gasped for the air that had been ripped from me by the pain, what strength I had vanishing without a trace.

The darkness was returning and this time it was here to stay to claim me in its cold embrace. It was kind enough to let this girl chat with me, so the only thing I could do in return for its kindness was to allow it to take me without a struggle. It could have me… I'm smiling now. I couldn't ask for a better death.

My head wobbled on my neck. _I can't… Everything is going dim…_

Two cold palms smacked me on each side of my face, holding my swaying head still, but my vision continued to twirl around. That girl was now close to my face, staring straight into my eyes, but I kept looking away as I tried to focus on her beautiful set of eyes. I wanted those wondrous eyes to be the last thing I saw before I died, but my dwindling consciousness was being a bitch and making it hard for me to accomplish that.

"Answer my question, young man! Don't you dare leave without answering me!" she said in a loud and demanding tone. Her voice was becoming more and more distant the darker the world around me became.

She looked awfully flustered and it was cute. I just wanted to touch her white face to see if it was as smooth as it looked. But, alas, I had already lost most, if not all, motor control.

I could see desperation in her eyes. I guess she just really wanted an answer from me that badly. I wanted to answer, but I was afraid of giving her the wrong answer and making her sad or something. She made me laugh so the last thing I wanted to do was upset her. No way did I want to see a sorrowful expression before I died. How the hell was I supposed to say no to her when she had such a cute face like that?

With time running out, I answered her in a bid to put her at ease just as she did for me.

I took the last breath I had and answered as clearly as I could. "Yes," I said, smiling warmly afterwards. Her little offer was just too funny. Could I seriously deny the Savior before me? It would be a waste to reject her.

With my answer given, the winged girl's lips curled into a shining smile. Being so close to her face allowed me to see that she actually did have fangs. It was frightening, but I didn't care. The darkness made me feel safe and it blanketed any worries I might have had. And I guess it was better than seeing her cry or something. I'd like to think everything went the way that it should, that the course of destiny had gone in the right direction.

She closed her eyes and moved in closer to me, her lips lining up with mine. Her breath upon my lips felt a little reinvigorating. It made my body twitch. Shockingly, she pressed her lips against mine.

She was kissing me! A sweet kiss of death! I couldn't have asked for a better end to my life!

 _Shit! I wanna kiss back! I just need to move my lips! Please, God, let me move my lips! My death can become more awesome if I can just kiss back!_

The kiss seemed to last forever. Corny, I know, but that's just the way it was. The entire moment was absolutely dream-like.

The girl removed her lips from mine, a sigh flowing from her. She slowly opened her eyes and said "It is time. Your fate… is forever mine."

Nothing else was needed to be said. With the red moon hanging over us, I left myself to the strange girl. Who she was would forever remain a mystery to me. She softened the impact of death for me and for that there was nothing I could do to thank her enough. I wish I could. Who or whatever she was, I wished her happiness and all that good junk.

Death moved in for me, the light fading away. At long last, the darkness consumed everything around me, save for the winged girl's crimson eyes. They stayed in the darkness, glowing with a strange power as they gazed back at me. Then, with one final glow, the ethereally eyes vanished into the darkness.

I could feel pressure in the side of my neck, one last feeling of gratifying pain and the final time I would feel anything ever again. My heart made its final beat and then there was silence.

It was now dark bliss. With the book of my life closed, my destiny was fulfilled.


	2. Chapter 1 New Beginning

As I slept, the sound of a crying girl was heard. She was in pain, weeping somewhere in the distant darkness. Where was it coming from exactly? My imagination, maybe? Either way, I needed to find out what was wrong. No one should have to cry like that girl was…

* * *

"Ahg, my fuckn' head…"

A miserable thumping in my head was what I had the pleasure of being greeted by when I awoke – the kind you would expect after a long night of non-stop drinking. And it must have been one hell of a fun night because I couldn't remember a damn thing about it. The only thing I could remember was some crazyass dream.

Glowing red eyes of a devil flashing in my mind upgraded me from semi-conscious to completely awake. My eyes shot open, revealing a revolving ceiling before me. With my hand going to my aching head, I sat up, groaning the entire way.

"Holy fuck, this hurts…" I loudly groaned.

This could easily be one of the worst hangovers I've ever had. I couldn't say for sure because my memories were a little fogged up at the moment. Made me wonder just how much I managed to drink without outright killing myself.

I rubbed each of my temples, waiting for my vision to stop spinning so I could go get some H2O in me. My spinning vision was making me sick so I closed my eyes for a moment, but the second I did, those same glowing eyes would appear, forcing my eyes back open.

The dream was surprisingly vivid despite having had it when I was piss drunk. I remembered each detail pretty well. Hell, it was the most vivid memory I had at all. From wrecking my motorcycle because of some dumb woman wandering out in front of me to a strange winged girl; I remembered it all. Every other memory was vague or uncertain, but that was just the booze's doing.

My vision slowly returned to normal and I finally could see my room. Problem was that it wasn't my room that I was in. Not even close.

"Oh, Christ… Not this shit again."

One quick look around and it was obvious that I was in someone else's house. I was afraid I had broken into the place in my drunken state and passed out in the first bed I found. That or the owners were kind enough to let me crash here and I just couldn't remember that part. God, please let it be the latter.

My hands went over my sweaty face. "Shhhhit…"

Either way, I needed to apologize to the owner of the house so I threw my legs over the side of the bed, tossed my thinking cap on and worked on an apology.

While I brainstormed (the bloody sledgehammer hitting me upside the head not helping at all), I gave the room another look around. It then hit me that I was in some rich person's house. It had to be a rich person's because the room was incredible. Masterfully carved walls of red stone and the floor was made of jet black marble tiles. The bed itself was quite large and it sat on a carpet that probably cost a fortune (much like everything in the room, I'm sure). The bed sheets looked like they were quilted by hand – the patterns were trippy. And, of course, the bed was nice and soft – very comfortable. The only odd thing about the room was the fact that there were no windows, the thing lighting the room being a fancy candle on an equally fancy nightstand to the left of the bed. I wondered why no window for a bedroom, but didn't really care. It wasn't my home.

I decided to be blunt with my apology. It was the best way to go about any apology, me thinks.

I hopped off the bed and immediately fell to my knees, smacking them off the hard floor. _Crud. Legs went weak._

My hangover was still going strong. I gave my legs a minute to get their strength back then gave standing a second try. I succeeded, but not without a bit of difficulty. My legs continued to wobble some.

I looked around for my wallet, but found nothing of mine. I checked my back pocket, but found that it wasn't in my jeans. I wasn't even wearing my jeans. I was in black pajama pants.

 _Did I seriously manage to change myself while totally shitfaced? Props to me, I guess._

On the stand with the candle was a black button-up shirt that looked like it was laid out for me. Did the owners of the house give me these to sleep in? They weren't mine, I don't think. I figured that maybe they did so I went ahead and grabbed the shirt.

Another revelation came to me when I went to put the shirt on: my skin was unusually pale.

"What the hell?" I said as I stared at the white skin of my arm.

I'm sure I remember being tanned last night… so maybe someone had played a prank on me? Who the hell knows. I could worry about it later.

With a deep breath, I grabbed the doorknob of the bedroom door and turned it. The door was surprisingly hard to pull open. It was one of those heavy kinds of doors. The kind that you wouldn't want to try punching a hole in unless you wanted shattered knuckles.

I took a step out of the bedroom, letting the door shut itself behind me. I stood right where I was and stared down the stunningly long hallway. I could barely see the end of it. My eyes then looked to the ceiling and I found it to be just as stunningly high as the hallway was long. It had to have been at least thirty of me tall and I was at an even six feet.

I thought that maybe I was in one of those hotels for snotty rich people, but I didn't remember having one of those near where I lived. Then again, I couldn't really remember much other than that dumb dream.

 _Well, whatever…_ With the shrug of my shoulders, I slowly made my way down the hallway.

I still felt a bit tipsy so I took my time walking. I hoped I would just run into someone, but so far there was nobody. The place was eerily quiet. The red stone walls were cool and all, but they just added to the creepiness. I took note of not only the lack of many windows in the hallway, but also the lack of electric lights. The whole hallway was lit by candles on the walls. It was cool I guess, but it must be a real pain in the ass to keep them all lit.

 _Did the retard architect forget that some people like a little more sunlight than this?_

After a rather long walk, I got to the end of the hallway just to come to another one. "How big is this damn place?" I thought out loud in frustration. With only one way to go, I cautiously made my way down the second hallway.

The place was looking more and more like a hotel – it was filled with an endless amount of rooms. I placed an ear on a few of the doors during my trek down the second hallway to see if I could hear anyone inside, but all I got was silence.

I tried for the life of me to remember what exactly I was doing before I passed out, but all I could draw was a blank. I felt more and more retarded the more I tried to remember. I think I should seriously think about cutting down on the booze. This amount of memory loss was ridiculous.

Halfway down the hallway and a door to my right opened suddenly. I jumped in surprise a little, accidently startling the person who stepped out of the room.

"Goodness gracious!" the small girl cried out.

Color me relieved. I had finally found some life. Was beginning to wonder if I was in some kind of '28 Days Later' scenario or something.

Wasting no time, I put on a friendly smile and greeted the short kid. "Hey there, kiddo," I said and stopped right there with my greeting and stared.

I stared at what appeared to be a set of transparent wings on the girl's back. The set was comprised of a total of six wings and they were tinted orange. Quite frankly, they looked like fairy wings. Seemed legit considering the person they were attached to was a kid that was maybe about nine years old, possibly ten. She was a cute little red-headed girl. I tried not to focus too much on the fact that she was dressed in some sort of maid uniform because it just made me want to laugh.

 _Oh, God, I can't stop smiling. Just don't burst out laughing like an idiot._

"Could'ya help me out? I'm kinda' lost and need to speak to whoever runs this joint. I think they may have my stuff," I said.

She just stared up at me, her eyes blinking at full speed like I was the first human being she's seen in her life. Maybe I was? Hell if I know. I just wanted to get the hell out of the building.

Her eyes widened, looking like she had come to some realization of some sort. "Oh! You're the corpse that Milady brought back!" she concluded loudly as she pointed at me.

 _Did… Did she seriously just call me a corpse? And just who the hell is Milady?_

I let the odd (and a bit insulting) description she gave me slide and said "Yeah. Take me to your boss. I need to get my stuff so I can get a move on."

"Of course! We were told by the Chief Maid to inform her if you woke up. It's about time you did!" the little maid girl said.

 _Big Boss Maid, eh?_

I kind of wanted to ask why a kid her age was working as a maid… so I did.

"Ain't ya a bit young to be working?" I asked.

And the girl puffed her reddening cheeks at me. Was just a normal question so no idea why she was getting all upset.

"What do you mean?! I'm still alive so why wouldn't I be working?!" she shouted at me.

Her reaction to my question made no sense so I figured I'd just drop the question before things got any more awkward. "Oookay… Just take me to an adult, please."

"Oh! There she is!" the girl exclaimed as she pointed down the hallway.

Down the hallway was another girl – an oriental girl – dressed in a maid's uniform. The only difference between the shorty next to me and this one was that she was all grown up and damn fine looking. She looked to be a couple years younger than me, maybe more. And her hair… Its silvery color was as strange as the kid's fairy wings. No way was it her natural hair color, but it looked good on her regardless so who cares really?

I approached the apparent maid-in-charge and held out my hand to her. "How are ya? My name's…"

I went silent. I was going to tell her my name, but for some messed up reason my own name escaped me. It was right there on the tip of my tongue yet I could not get it out.

 _What the hell…_

"So, you have awoken," the silver-haired girl said. She actually sounded surprised that I had woken up.

I chuckled. "What? Ya thought I was dead or something?"

Not amused in the slightest, the girl just stared back at me with a serious expression. "Now that you are awake, I must take you to our master," she said.

 _OUR master? This girl been drinkn' too?_

"Uh, yeah. Sure," I replied.

I wasn't going to waste time asking questions. I just wanted to get my stuff, leave and shake off this damn hangover. I was pretty sure I had overstayed my welcome anyways.

"Please, follow me," she said.

Not only was she pretty, but polite too. I wondered if she was polite off the job or if it was only a mask she wore solely for work. It wouldn't surprise me. We all wear different masks for the many different situations of our lives.

"Sure thing," I complied.

I followed the girl and as I did, I looked around, observing the increasingly strange building I was in. We went by a single window – a rather large window. Not only that, but it was a stained window. Was very cool looking with the dim sunlight shining through it in an array of prismatic colors. I also saw more of those young girls going about their business. Like the first one, they too had what seriously looked like fairy wings of different shapes, sizes and colors. It weirded me out. Seriously, who hires young girls and dresses them up with fairy wings? I kept my mouth shut about it as to not start any trouble and just followed the Boss Maid.

We came to a large flight of stairs with a red carpet running down it. It looked like we were on the third floor of the building. I glanced down over the stone railing, getting a quick look of the wide hall. The distance from the floor to the ceiling was simply staggering. More fairy girls were seen, working like little worker ants in a colony (minus the organization).

The Boss Maid cleared her throat to get my attention and gestured me to continue following her. I did as requested and we went up the stairs to the fourth floor.

My curiosity finally got the best of me and I asked "What is this place anyways?"

The maid kept her eyes forward. "I am sure you have a lot of questions, but I assure you that our fair Lady will answer all of them for you," she replied.

 _Fair Lady? Damn girl plays her job well._

She again referred to the owner of the place as _our_ boss. Last I checked I worked… somewhere that was not in some medieval hotel. It irked me, but at least now I knew the owner was a woman. Probably some old naggy bitch, but here's hoping for a MILF.

Once we got to the top of the stairs, we immediately came to a large set of black doors. The girl opened them and we went through.

I stopped in bewilderment at the strange room we were now in. It was an open room with what looked like a throne sitting in the middle. Behind it was a huge window that took up the entire space of the wall. A dark red curtain of equal size covered it, blocking any and all sunlight.

I had to be on some movie set or something because this was just absurd. The mere sight of it forced a short laugh out of me.

"Ah haha! Where's the Queen of Hearts?" I asked jokingly.

The maid girl apparently had no sense of humor and made no reaction. _Oh, a tight-ass, eh?_

The girl led me to another door on the left side of the room. She opened it then stepped to the side, kindly motioning me to go in first.

"Thanks, sweetheart," I said, giving her a cheerful smile as I walked by. I would have tipped her if I had any money on me. Maybe I will before I leave. Maybe.

I stepped into the room. At first glance it appeared to be an office. It had a number of shelves alongside the walls that I'm guessing were filled with papers. Why they hadn't computerized was yet another mystery of the place.

In the center was a really nice desk of mahogany wood that had some books and stacks of paper on it. And behind that desk sat a female who was busy with paperwork. I immediately assumed her to be the manager of the place.

I was just about to introduce myself, but when she looked up at me… Nothing prepared me for the set of eyes I saw looking back at me.

That entire dream from last night rewinded in my mind then replayed itself. My heart painfully skipped a beat and every muscle in my body tensed up the second I saw those glowing red eyes from the dream. I stood frozen in place, those otherworldly eyes snatching me up in a powerful grip.

"What… the fuck…?" I gasped.

There was no mistaking it. The girl who sat behind the desk was the girl from my dream. She had everything that girl had: the wings, the pale white skin, and most importantly, those insanely beautiful and mesmerizing and terrifying eyes. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Her outfit was even the same, except it was white instead of black.

My hand went to my stomach in search of a hole. I found none there so I was sure that was all just a dream, but how the hell was this girl here? Was it just an insane coincidence? It had to be. There was no other explanation for it.

But I knew her name. Somehow, the second I saw those eyes, I knew her name. I had never met this girl before yet I knew her name. How on Earth was that possible?

Her name flowed from my lips as if someone else had pulled them out from me. "Remilia… Scarlet…?" I choked, nearly losing my breath and what sanity I had.

The winged girl smiled at me, a dark, foreboding kind of smile. I nearly jumped out of my skin. "At last, you have awoken," she said, seemingly delighted.

She walked around the desk and approached me. I wanted to get the hell out of there, but her bloody eyes held me in place. I couldn't do anything but stand there gawking at her like a child at a zoo.

"Who… are you?" I asked unwittingly.

The winged girl giggled the same cute giggle she made in my dream. It was cute, sure, but my mind couldn't take the freakish similarity it had with my dream. Good God, what was going on?!

"I am as you said," the girl replied. She stopped in front of me and started to fix my hastily buttoned shirt, her eyes never leaving mine. They just kept staring, staring deep into my very being. I couldn't breathe. Her eyes were strangling me.

Once she was done with my shirt, she took a step back and greeted me formally. "I am Remilia Scarlet and this is my home. Welcome, young one, to the Scarlet Devil Mansion."

I remained speechless as I turned around to look at the silver-haired girl behind me. She stood calmly and stared back, not saying a word. I then turned back to the winged girl of my dream. That dark smile on her face was truly the smile of the Devil. Terrifyingly confused was hardly enough to describe how I was feeling right there and then.

 _Just how much did I drink last night? WHAT did I drink last night…?_


	3. Chapter 2 Dark Truth

The longer I stared into the Devil's eyes the more my vision wavered. I needed to look away before my mind was lost to that sea of blood, but I just couldn't. Those eyes had a supernatural grip on me and refused to let me go. I was just about to start screaming my head off until the winged demon spoke.

"You took your sweet time awakening, childe. I was beginning to worry that I had messed up the embrace," the devil girl said as she scanned me with those blasted eyes of hers.

This girl and the girl in my dream sounded exactly alike. No matter how much I tried to deny that fact, their voices were one in the same, their eyes were the same, their hair was the same, their TEETH were the same. Every single inch of this girl was exactly like the one in my dream. It was absurd beyond reason.

The devil girl circled me, her eyes finally leaving my field of vision, but I was not relieved of their unholy hold. Even though her eyes left mine, I was still tuck standing in the exact same posture as I was the second she gazed upon me. My body refused to move to my command. Again, I just wanted to start screaming.

After a full circle around me, she stopped in front of me and pondered to herself. "Hmm… Everything looks like it's in working order…"

My chest was burning and it was at that moment that I realized that I wasn't breathing. Choking and gagging, I raced to get air into my lungs. My body had unfrozen for me to do so and I fell to my knees, my hands going out in front of me to keep me from going face-first into the marble floor.

I'm not sure how long it took me, but after a while I got my breathing under control. Now all that was left was to get control of the impossible situation that I had been thrown into.

I put my wrecked brain to work, trying with all of my might to remember what had happened the night before. It was only that dream and the girl within it that would come into mind, no matter how hard I tried to push it aside. There had to be a reason for the girl in my dream and the girl in front of me looking and sounding exactly alike. Maybe I had come across the girl sometime during the night and that is why I had a dream about her? That had to be it. It would also explain why I knew her name. It was the only sane explanation for it. It was the only explanation… that was keeping my mind from crumbling into pieces.

"If you are done thinking to yourself then I would like for you to return to your feet," the devil girl said.

The strength in my legs had yet to recover so I remained where I was. I slowly lifted my head, moving my vision from the marble floor to the winged girl. She looked annoyed now. Why? I didn't know and I didn't care. I had to get my shit together and get the hell out of there. I had enough of whatever game was being played. With new found resolve, I rose to my feet.

The devil girl continued to look upset about something. "When I say rise then I expect you to do so that instant. Not when you feel like it," she said with aggressiveness in her voice.

This little punk – this nobody – just tried to give me an order. Now I was angry. Whatever joke these people were trying to pull was not tickling my fancy. Not that it was a bad thing. Being angry was way better than being spooked out of my mind. I didn't even need to make a sensible connection with this dumb girl and the one in my dream. I just didn't care and I certainly didn't need to. Needless to say, it was time for me to get my stuff and walk out.

"Who ru-runs this place?" I asked as calmly as I could, stuttering a little on accident. I bit my teeth together to get my jaw under control before continuing. "I want to get my stuff so I can get on home."

The devil girl answered me with a disgruntled sigh, looking at me like I did something wrong to her or something. "You don't have any _stuff_. You own nothing anymore. Be silent and listen to me, for I do not like to repeat myself."

The little bitch was being condescending and all it did was piss me off. Maybe if I didn't have a hangover I would find it cute, but that just wasn't going to happen in the current state that I was in. In fact, I stopped caring about my wallet. I could always come back for it another time when I was feeling better. That actually sounded like the best course of action that I needed to take.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves then turned around on my heel, facing the silver-haired girl. "Could you lead me out of this place? I really need to get going," I said, hoping to get a better response from another grownup. Why I even bothered trying to talk to the kid was beyond me.

"Turning your back to your master? You are off to one rocky start, childe," the devil punk said loudly, but I simply ignored her. I seriously shouldn't be getting upset over this, but I couldn't help it.

I headed for the door. "Your friend here is a cute little bugger," I said lightheartedly to the Boss Maid.

"Return your eyes to me. Now," the devil girl ordered.

Though the girl had spoken only slightly loud, her order seemed to scream in my ears. Her commanding words rang in my head, making me cringe as my thought process was scrambled. After a moment, I found myself sweating and feeling nauseous. The girl's command still hung in the back of my mind.

 _What the fuck was that…?_

I shook my head, pushing the girl's words out then turned to face the haughty wench. "Alright, what the hell is going on?" I asked. I'm almost willing to do anything right now that will shut the girl up so I can leave.

The devil girl huffed at me. "I will overlook your disrespect considering the confused state you are in," she said.

 _So, now I'm confused?_

"I will get straight to the point. As you already know… I am Remilia Scarlet, mistress of this mansion and to all those under its roof."

 _I seriously don't care…_

"My role here is to take care of the everyday administrations as well as protect all those who serve me."

 _Good for you… Whadd'ya want? A fuckin' cookie?_

"As expected, you think me to be younger than you when you cannot possibly be any further from the truth."

 _I need a drink already and it's not even nighttime yet… Or a cigarette. God, I'd love me some tobacco right about now._

"Even the years of your past life do not come close to matching the years I have lived and it is through my vampiric blood that has allowed me to live those long years."

I couldn't remain quiet any longer, not after hearing the word _vampiric_. I raised an eyebrow and looked her dead in the eye. "So… You're telling me that you're a vampire?" I asked, trying to sound as serious as I could without chuckling like an idiot.

"That is correct," she replied, making it sound like she actually believed it. "You obviously have not realized it, but my blood now courses through your heart and veins."

"So, now I'm a vampire?" I asked.

"Correct," she nodded. "Be proud, young man. To have your heart filled with my blood is an honor like no other. From this day forward, you will serve me, your sire, for the rest of your days until your final death."

I must have had the most glorious shit-eating grin to ever grace the face of the Earth at that moment. I turned around to face the maid girl, my expression frozen into place.

"Cute kid," I said to the maid.

I turned back around to face the self-proclaimed vampire, swallowed hard and just continued to smile. I was seconds away from exploding into laughter. I could feel it all the way down to my balls. If I were to start laughing, I would surely pop at least one of them. The little vampire, on the other hand, didn't seem to want to smile back.

"I'm sure you make a good vampire, sport, and I would love to play as your servant, but I really need to get a move on. Life's a bitch and then you die and I got plenty of things to do before that happens," I said softly. I then patted the cute kid on the head then turned to leave the office.

I was letting myself get angry over nothing. I felt bad for it too. Some rich kid apparently just wanted some people to play her little game with her. It looks like she has plenty of people to help her out, so I'm sure she'll do fine without me.

Suddenly, the little vampire girl started to laugh, and what a laugh it was. It nearly made me piss myself. She's one hell of an actress, I'll give her that. I turn around to face her, only to feel my blood run cold when I did. The girl was laughing, yeah, but she did not look happy beneath that laugh.

"Ah… I knew this would happen. Did I not say this would happen, Sakuya?" the vampire girl said.

"That you did, Milady," the maid girl replied.

"Thank you, Sakuya."

"You're welcome, Milady."

And I just fell into uncontrolled, hysterical laughter. This was certainly the most bizarre moment of my life. First the little girls with fairy wings then the girl with silver hair. And finally the so-called vampire with wings standing here in front of me. It was now time for Jesus Christ to make his glorious return and bust through the walls wielding two Samurai swords and save my poor white ass from the pint-sized vampire and her sexy maid and the fairy brigade. I seriously half expected at least something similar like that to happen within the next few seconds.

I covered my face with both of my hands and continued laughing into them. I tried my damn hardest to get a hold of myself. After who knows how long, I finally caught a break and was able to respond.

"Alright! You got me!" I said, still laughing a little here and there. "You play one hell of a vampire, kid. I'm sure your parents are proud to have a little blood-sucker like you. I mean that in the kindest way possible. Honest."

The vampire girl's face was beat red as she glared intensely at me. The girl was determined as all hell to not drop the act.

I about-faced and smiled at the Boss Maid. Sakuya, if I recall correctly. "I'll go ahead and find my own way out. Thanks anyways," I told her then took my leave. I walked out of the office and into the throne room, or whatever it was, shaking my head in disbelief as I continued to smile.

I was certainly not going to forget about this strange, but hilarious, encounter. Though, I really wished I could remember how I even got to the building in the first place. Not that it really mattered at the moment. For now, it was time to go home.

I reached out to push the black double doors open, but I stopped suddenly. I found myself staring blankly at the doors, the humor in me having died at the realization of just how much I was devoid of memoires.

"Where… is my home?" I muttered under my breath. When I got no answer from myself, I sneered in irritation and decided to worry about where my home was later. I needed to get out of the clown mansion first.

I pushed the heavy doors open to find that vampire girl waiting on the other side for me. I cried out in shock once I spotted those foreboding eyes gazing up at me. Her expression was dark and deathly serious. I struggled to catch the breath that her sudden appearance stole from me.

"Your home is here with me," she answered.

"What the fu-fu-fuck… How did- how did you…?"

I searched for some other way the girl may have took to beat me here, but I found none. The only entrance to that office was the one right behind me, and I sure as hell didn't see this girl sprint by me. Not that it really mattered, but it still creeped me out.

"It would seem that you have taken me for a fool. A fatal mistake for a newborn vampire," she said in a voice that went darker and darker with every word she spoke.

 _Her fucking eyes… are glowing… just like in the dream…_

I shook my head hard, determined not to let someone half my size scare me. "Listen, kid… I'm not far from losing my temper right now so will you please just get out of my way?" I asked politely, but my voice trembled a bit.

The vampire girl's wings unfolded, spreading out behind her in a proud and startling display. I cried out in fright as I jumped back.

 _Those things can move?!_

The vampire girl slowly walked towards me, making me take steps backwards in order to keep some distance between us. "Oh, there is so much for you to learn, my pet," she said with a dark grin. "Teaching you will be a chore, certainly, but I expect it to be a rather enjoyable experience… for the both of us…"

I had broken out into a cold sweat, but instead of showing any more irrational fear for the short wench, I let my top blow. "Alright, I've had enough of this shit. I tried to be nice, but now you're forcing me to be an asshole!" I shouted in my anger. "Now get out of my way before I kick your little ass down those steps." This could have been a very entertaining day, but that possibility had been thrown out of the window by this dumb girl.

The blasted girl said nothing, choosing to try and subdue me with those hellish eyes. It wasn't working, and I lost my patience waiting for an answer and just pushed my way passed the girl, swatting those damn wings out of my way.

"Fucking ridiculous…" I murmured under my heated breath.

" _Is this really the path you wish to take, childe?"_

I stopped when I heard the girl's strangely ghostly voice and turned to face her, but she had not moved. She still had her back to me, not looking like she was going to pursue me. I wasn't complaining. Last thing I needed was to start screaming at a younger girl just to get her to leave me be.

I looked away from the girl and continued down the large set of stairs. I came to the large, open hall and picked a random direction to start walking – straight on forward. I spotted a triplet of fairy girls and decided to see if one of them would give me the directions I was becoming desperate for.

I approached the rather frightened looking group with a smile that was clearly forced. "Hey there, girls! Could you point me to the exit? I'd really appreciate it," I said graciously, but my voice was still a little shaky.

The girls said nothing and just stared at me blankly. I must still look freaked out, freaking them out in turn. One eventually pointed down the hallway. My eyes followed and I spotted a large set of doors all the way at the end of the long hallway. The sight of those doors to my freedom nocked a sigh of sweet relief out from me. I gave my thanks and away I went.

 _I'll be back for my wallet, but until then… Adios, freaks…_

I was sweating badly I noticed, but I just ignored it. Once I got outside I would feel a lot better, I figured. I longed to feel the sun's warmth on my face.

But I didn't get far. I had blinked only a single time and suddenly that short devil was standing there in front of me once again, the light around her dimming as if it was afraid of the winged creature. Her face was hard to see, being covered in an unnatural darkness. It was only those accursed red eyes that I could see with absolute perfection.

With my feet glued in place, I slapped my hand over my mouth to keep myself from crying out in shock again, but there was nothing I could do to keep my eyes from widening in complete astonishment. My body betrayed me, shivering nonstop. The speed of my breathing had tripled to meet the speed of my beating heart. These people had to have drugged me with something in my sleep. What my eyes were seeing wasn't normal.

" _You made a decision, young man… A decision you must now follow up on. You agreed to be my servant and now you must obey me for all eternity… You and I are forever bound to one another… by fate and by blood."_

Her voice echoed in my mind ceaselessly, but the horrifying thing that got me was that her mouth did not move when she spoke. My sanity was beginning to crumble again. I was losing grip on my senses. The only desire that existed in me now was the desire to get as far away from this person as I possibly could.

"Ah- MOVE!" I erupted then stormed passed the freak, my teeth squeezing tightly together.

" _So be it… My hand has been forced. I will need to show you of your new place in this dark world of unlife. Remember, boy, it was YOU who said yes to me!"_

The senseless voice in my head plucked the right cord in me. I whipped around and screamed at the devil's back. "Shut your fucking mouth, kid!"

Silence. There was nothing but silence suddenly, save for my trembling bones and pounding heart, my horrendous panting and chattering teeth. I held my fracturing sanity in my hands, tightly holding onto it in a desperate bid to keep it as one, but that winged thing was trying her best to pull that sanity from me and smash it at her feet.

I noticed then that those maid girls with the fairy wings were staring at me. Why were they staring at me like I had already lost my mind? Couldn't they hear the demon's evil words as I did? Please tell me they could hear the demon's voice too! Don't tell me I was the only one!

The demonic girl slowly turned around, piercing my aching heart with her ghastly gaze and incasing my legs in what felt like ice. Her wings expanded to monstrous proportions, sending the light into a full retreat. The lit candles on the walls and in the chandeliers hanging above us had their flames snuffed out by a dark hand, being replaced with dark red, lightless flames that seemed to bleed blood. From the wings came forth a hideous cloud of darkness. It moved with malicious intentions, expanding outward in all directions. But the darkness wasn't darkness at all. It was a swarm of demonic bats, the beating of their wings making a terrifying sound that rattled the very air and foundation of the building. Everything I was seeing was impossible. It simply could not be.

Then it dawned on me. I gaped in horror as the most cruel of realizations struck me hard. It was a realization that was painful to admit, but it made too much sense given what was placed before me. The dream I had was no dream at all. I had truly died and now I was going to pay the ultimate price for my sinful life. Forget fire and brimstone. This mansion was the true Hell and the bitch before me was the Betrayer himself.

"Oh, Jesus!" I gasped in a shrill cry. I felt a shivering liquid fall from my eyes. I, a grown man, had been brought down into tears by the dark revelation.

Once the unseen ice around my legs broke, I took off running, breaking out into a full on sprint away from the dreaded monster. I did not think at all about looking back, only to get to those doors that seemed so far away. It was then that I heard that nightmarish voice again, its echo pulverizing the insides of my skull.

" _Running away, are we? How far do you think you could get without me? Do you really think that there are any humans out there that would take you in and comfort you? A MONSTER like you? You no longer have a place in the world of the living, boy. The only comfort you will ever know is the comfort found by my side."_

The sheer weight of the demon's words forced me to my knees. I scrambled franticly back to my feet and continued fleeing in terror. "Oh, Jesus! Oh, Jesus!"

From everywhere around me came the booming voice of the Devil. "CHILDE! YOUR MASTER CALLS FOR YOU!"

The Devil's terrible voice brought with it a wave of those demonic bats. They lifted me off my feet and threw me down the hallway, sending me skidding across the marble floor. The pain of being thrown was practically numb against the mind-boggling fear I was overwhelmed by. I jumped to my feet again and ran, ignoring the two walls of black bats that flew by on either side of me. The entire ceiling had become covered in the screeching horrors.

Those doors, the doors to my salvation, were not getting any closer. No matter how fast I ran, they were always far away from me, taunting and laughing at me every time I reached out for them. Even as I ran passed the countless fairy girls – no – malevolent demons in the form of young girls, I wasn't getting any closer to those doors.

"EMBRACE YOUR FATE!"

Another loud boom of the Devil's voice. A blast of air crashed into my back, sending me flying forward. I hit the floor hard, tumbling a number of feet before stopping. Hurting, I pushed myself back to my feet. I was now in the shadow of the most horrible being of them all. My breath was torn from me as I found myself facing the great evil.

"Oh, God," I gasped in horror.

"I'm your god now, boy!" the Devil answered cruelly, the glow of her evil eyes annihilating a chunk of my sanity. The skin of her face was pulled back across the surface of her skull, wiping away any beauty she had in favor of a more monstrous appearance. "I am your entire world. Your only reason for existing. The number one focus of your affection. The one who owns your SOUL!"

The demon flapped her black wings with but a single beat, sending a howling blast of wind crashing into me and knocking me to my back. The back of my head bounced off the floor, leaving me cringing in pain. I rolled over and pushed myself up onto my knees.

I punched at the floor over and over to the point where I nearly shattered my knuckles. Anger brought upon denial was mixing in with the hysterical fear for a cold blend of insanity. "No, no no no no! This isn't real… This isn't real at all! Not real! Not real!" I screamed till my throat burned.

Slowly, but surely, I made it back up onto my feet, cursing wildly out loud. I faced the nightmare, shook my head in rejection of her existence and sprinted for the doors. If I could just make it to those doors–

At long last, I had made it. Freedom was now at hand.

With no hesitation, I shoved the overly large set of doors open. Never before have I longed for the sun's light with such ache. A flash of light blinded me as a greeting, along with a cruel gesture. I felt my skin burning underneath the light, forcing me back out of the sunlight.

I stood unmoving as I stared out at the lush green courtyard, dumbfounded. "Wha… What?"

My freedom was right there before me, yet all I could do was stare out into the gorgeous outside of Heaven. I just stood there, terrified of the sun's blissful light as much as if not more than the heinous darkness behind me. No matter how hard I screamed at my legs to take me out into the light, all they did was disobey me. I had actually begun to take steps back further away from the light. The Heaven in front of me turned out to be nothing more than a cruel illusion. God had abandoned me.

It was all over. There was no way for me to deny the fact that I had truly gone mad.

Left with no other options, I turned to face the Devil. I called out for God's forgiveness in my mind, but I had lost any and all hope that he could even hear me anymore. Despairing acceptance was settling in.

The doors were slammed shut behind me by the swarm of bats, signaling to me that I would never see the sun ever again. The demonic horror before me reached a hand out to me, her hand so small yet burning with a sinister power. I could feel that power tugging away at my brittle soul.

"It is time for you to take a knee, boy," she declared. "Surrender your heart, and accept me as your eternal lord and master."

My spirit was not totally destroyed just yet. A very small piece still remained burning deep within my miserable form. I shook my head at her in refusal. "This… This isn't fair…" I insisted, my voice choked by despair.

"You still hold a good deal of stubbornness in you…" the Devil determined. Her outstretched hand slowly moved and she pointed to my left. "Look there, childe… See the truth of what you are."

Confused, I did as she said and moved my sight to where she pointed. It was that silver haired maid and she was holding a large mirror in her hands, a mirror framed in obsidian black. Thanks to her, I was now able to see the miserable mess that I was in from the outside and – with the heavy thump of my heart – along with a truth more terrible and more impossible than simple damnation.

"That's… not… possible…" I said, nearly choking on my own words.

The Devil's eyes had taken residence in the eye sockets of my skull. I stared back at myself with eyes that did not belong to me, a set of eyes that glowed in sync with that of the monster's own pair. And as I gawked at the petrified man in the mirror, I spotted two fangs that painfully reminded me that of a mythical vampire. Then the dream returned…

"No…" I slowly shook my head while that dream repeated itself over and over in my head ad nauseam. What stood out most from that dream was my foolish answer to that winged girl – the word to my true damnation. "No, no, no, no…" I repeated strenuously, with each repeat coming out in increasing volume and desperation, as if to drown out that accursed word I answered with. "No, no! NO!"

The Devil – or more correctly, the impossible vampire – was now behind me, embracing me from behind and hanging over my shoulders. She stared into the mirror as I did with a dark and chilling grin. One of her cold hands was down my shirt, caressing my chest.

"Aww, how cute. We have matching eyes," she chuckled. She moved her lips closer to my ear and whispered to me with dark words. "And now you know… in your heart… that we are the same… You are forever mine. All mine. Mine. Miiine…"

She suddenly gave the side of my face a lick with her vile tongue, pushing me off the brink. I shook the vampire off of me and quickly backed away from her, the dream that was no dream playing endlessly like a sick torture in my mind as I desperately denied the truth with what might I had.

"No! Nooo! I did not agree to this!" I screamed in my hysteria.

"Ah, but you certainly did, boy," the vampire insisted as she took a menacing step towards me.

"I was half-dead and delirious! It was a mistake!"

It was a mistake and I had to do everything within my power to convince this impossible being that it was. The answer I gave was not from me agreeing with anything. It wasn't even given out of seriousness. How the hell was I supposed to know that this girl was truly a supernatural vampire? There was no way I could have known. Absolutely none!

The vampire was not pleased with my choice of words and she glared at me with wrathful eyes. She may not be the Devil like I had thought, but she was no less terrifying. This monster was the night given form. Beautiful, horrifying form.

"A mistake? A MISTAKE?!" she roared, unleashing a tempest that howled like a murderous banshee.

The powerful winds knocked me backwards off my feet, but before I could hit the floor, the great black swarm of bats caught me. The swarm wrapped around me, forming into the shape of a hand that clenched me tightly in its grip. The bats suddenly vanished, leaving me in the pale hand of the vampire. I looked up to see the bats finishing their shaping into the rest of her. She had now transformed into a giant and she stared down at me with endless cruelty.

I had no senses left to lose at this point. This monster had taken everything from me, all except for my soul that I desperately convinced myself was still mine. My only defense against such a monster was to deny she even existed. Vampires simply do not exist, but my eyes knew what they were seeing and my heart knew what it was feeling. They refused to let me believe otherwise, no matter how much I pleaded with them.

I thrashed wildly in the vampire's grip. "No, no, nooo! This is just a nightmare! Just a fucking nightmare! Let me out of here! Let me go!"

The vampire's breath had the cold touch of death on my person. "It is too late for you to go back on your word, boy. You agreed to become a vampire and to serve me."

"No! I didn't want this! I never wanted to be a vampire so please just let me go!" I cried.

Her grip tightened around me, making it even harder to breathe alongside the terror I was submerged in. "You were awfully clear with your answer. A clear and resounding _yes_ , it was."

I pushed on her fingers in an attempt to loosen them. "For the love of God, lady, cut me some damn slack! I was dying! I was fucking dying! I didn't want to upset you before I died, damn it! I didn't really want to become a vampire! I didn't mean it so please, PLEASE, let me go!"

Her lips fell slightly into a frown. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes!" I shouted vehemently, getting a mouth full of my tears.

"That's too bad…" she sighed with the shake of her head then looked at me sadly, looking like maybe she has a heart and understood me. "I guess if you are going to refuse the blood bond between you and I then…" Her lips curled into a horrid grin, crushing any hopes of freedom I had. "You leave me with no other choice but to destroy you."

And my heart sank like a brick. "N-No… No, please don't!" I begged her.

"But it would be such a waste not to get _some_ use out of you… Ah! How about you become my light snack?" she asked me before licking her lips in anticipation.

Rage for the unfairness of my predicament was the only thing driving me at this point. I knew I was done for, but I was determined to fight all the way to my doom so I punched wildly at the vile hand in a last ditch effort to save myself. "NO! NOOOO! Let me the fuck go, you son of a bitch! Let me the fuck go!"

"Too bad, young man. I think you would have discovered the ultimate pleasure in catering to my every whim. But alas… That honor is no longer available to you." She ended her boast with a soul-crushing laugh.

"NOOOOOO!"

My cries went ignored by the malevolent vampire. Her mouth stretched open to a monstrous degree, her sinister fangs and tongue taking up my entire field of vision. I screamed as she placed me into her mouth, my face smacking atop her cold, slimy tongue. My lower back was fastened in between her top and bottom incisors. In maniacal desperation, I tried pushing against the roof of her mouth and tongue to open it, but to no avail. Painfully, her teeth sank into my body, breaking into my skin and stopping at bone. I thrashed and screamed from the agonizing pain, only for the pain to amplify a hundred times when she began pulling on my legs. The sounds of flesh and cartilage tearing and bone popping as my spine was being stretched apart echoed within the death chamber of the creature's mouth, and in just a few, horrifying seconds, my spine was separated from my pelvis and everything else that went below it with a bloodcurdling rip.

Feeling in my legs vanished with the separation, but excruciating agony overwhelmed the rest of my body in an instant. My arms collapsed as I let out a wretched howl, squirming from the depraved mutilation afflicted on me. It wasn't long before I was drowning in not just the monster's saliva, but my own blood. The blood in my heart was slowly draining, only to be replaced with a burning hatred for the unforgiving beast.

My rancorous howls were warped when my left arm was caught between the vampire's molars and crushed and grinded into mushy meat. I was tossed around the tongue, being joined in the musky hell by my lower half, only to be forced to listen as it was grinded up like my arm. My raped mind was still capable of allowing me to curse the demon's name.

Swirling around in the mutilated mass of flesh that once made up parts of my body, my torso was finally caught between her molars, my head in position to be crushed along with it, but the end to the horror did not come quickly. The monster slowly applied pressure, surely getting sadistic enjoyment with each rib that snapped and popped. Blood gargled in my mouth as I continued to scream out at the injustice until my screams were finally put to an end with a sudden crunch.

A silent darkness was all that remained. The pain had ended, leaving me to feel nothing. Had I died again? I did not know. It was hard to tell if I even had a mind to think with anymore, or if it had been lost in the face of the impossible reality I was confronted with.

The silence did not last though, and a voice soon came to me – the voice of that accursed vampire. That… Remilia Scarlet. Her words were unintelligible to my broken mind, only making the darkness heavy and, strangely, a little less frightening.

At this point, all I could do was wonder "Why?"

* * *

Remilia Scarlet had a hand to the center of her chest and her other hand cupped in front of her mouth as she coughed repeatedly. Her coughs were forced, but none had yet to produce her desired result. She had already grown frustrated with the persistent failures.

Eventually, with enough time, she managed to cough up into her hand what appeared to be a very small, newborn bat that was covered in saliva and blood. She sighed in relief after having difficulty with getting the small creature out, but once she did, she smiled warmly at the small thing that now lay quivering in the cup of her hands. With a single finger, she caressed the tiny mammal with utmost delicacy, avoiding putting any unnecessary pressure that would harm him. The pup let out a small, barely audible cry. She murmured to him in a soft melody, and soon his quivering came to a slow end. Seconds later and he was fast asleep.

Remilia's maid, Sakuya, appeared next to her with a towel in her hand and a smile on her face. The vampire nodded in thanks and took the towel. She gave the bat a gentle rubdown with the towel, nudging him awake as a consequence. She giggled when the pup made a few barking noises at her, showing his displeasure, but once she was finished, he was quickly sleeping again. She handed back the towel to the Chief Maid and headed off.

The Scarlet Devil carried the sleeping bat in her hands as she made her way through her noble home. Her destination was a bedroom in the west wing of the mansion on the third floor. During the short journey, she passed many of her other servants – the fairy maids. They all made sure to stand out of her way as she made her way down the hall, smiling as their master walked by them. Once at her destination, she entered the bedroom and headed for the bed. She laid the pup gently on the bed, leaned in close to it and cooed sweetly.

"The chains I have on you… will not be broken that easily, my childe," Remilia Scarlet whispered. "Rest now… for fate has much in store for us…"


	4. Chapter 3 Hard Reality

My sleep was disturbed by the sound of a weeping girl. This has happened three times so far. I have no idea where the crying was coming from and I was sure it was nothing more than some kind of hallucination, but hearing the apparent suffering and grief of the girl was upsetting me regardless. I had to help her, but a figure with green hair obstructed me…

* * *

I was awake, but I made no attempt to get out of the bed. I remained as I was, laying flat out on my stomach with my face buried in a pillow. I could have easily been mistaken for a corpse by somebody, but the sad part was that they wouldn't really be wrong. I _was_ just a corpse, only moving because of some supernatural blood that filled the insides of my veins. That fact was still so very hard for me to believe even after witnessing everything that led to it being true (I had ripped my dark brown hair out several times only for it to grow back in an instant, reinforcing the truth into near absolution). I had died a second time, yet I still lived. My heart was beating and it sickened me that it was. I should be dead and by dead I mean seriously dead, not this abomination that I had become.

After I had woken up in the same bedroom the second time and with the sound of ripping flesh and bones being crushed still fresh in my head, I was still partly out of my mind and had immediately pushed the bed up against the door to keep anyone or anything from getting in. I then proceeded to walk back and forth in the same spot (how I didn't grind a trench into the floor was a surprise) as I desperately tried to figure out how I could get out of the mansion without going through the bedroom door. Obviously that just wasn't going to happen thanks to the windowless room I was in. And that was another thing; there were no windows in my room because if there was then I'd burst into flames the second the sun decided to peek in and say hello.

After a long, long while (possibly days) I had finally calmed down enough to the point where I moved the bed back to its original place. I still made no attempt to leave the room, preferring to stay in what felt to be relative safety – my Sanctuary. No one or anything tried to enter my room, though there was the occasional knocking that I ignored. Whoever it was that would knock would ask me if I was going to come out, but I never answered. The thought that whoever it was that was knocking wasn't human terrified me silent.

Unfortunately, hunger and thirst were beginning to take its toll on me and that had presented a question that brought with it nothing but sickening thoughts and visions. What was I supposed to eat, given what I was? I prayed I could still eat normal food and be fine. Probably best that I just not think about it.

There was a knock at the door.

Now that I thought about it, I think whoever it was behind the door had been coming to my room and knocking at scheduled times. At least it seemed to be the case. Not that it really mattered, I guess.

I got up and sat on the edge of the bed and contemplated to myself. Eventually I would have to open that door if I ever wanted to get out of the mansion (and to get some food in me) so I figured now was the time to answer that door. To stay in this room despite my fear of whatever stood behind that door any longer would surely begin to degrade what little sanity I had managed to recover.

"Are you going to come out?" a girl's voice said after the third knock, just like all the other times.

I looked over at the door and stared at it. I wondered why the girl hadn't tried to open the door yet to see if I was even in here still. If I stayed in here and said nothing, would she forever continue to stop by at set times, knock a few times and ask me if I was going to come out? I kind of wanted to find out, but I seriously couldn't remain in this room any longer. My stomach would kill me if I even tried.

I ran my fingers through my hair then held it. "Just open the door, dude…" I uttered quietly to myself. With a heavy sigh, I stood up with some hard-found courage and walked to the door.

I took a deep breath then opened the door, finding the person who had been knocking all those times to be that silver-haired maid girl. Boss Maid, as I knew her, since I could not for the life of me remember her name. I had a good few inches on her. She stared back at me with those very pretty dark blue eyes, her expression relaxed and plain. She was holding something in her hands – a glass filled with a clear, red liquid. It looked like a fruit drink of some kind and, man, did it ever look so good. It even smelled terrific.

Apparently the drink was for me since she immediately handed it out to me. I was cautious to what it actually was, but I was so damn thirsty that I didn't care. I mean, what was the worst that could happen? It kills me?

Saying nothing, I gladly took the glass and began chugging it. Just as it smelled, it tasted absolutely fantastic. The taste was just utterly satisfying. I spilled some over the side of my lips in my bid to drink the juice as fast as I could and eventually drank so fast that it went down the wrong tube, sending me into a coughing fit.

The Boss Maid took the empty glass from me as I caught my breath. I wiped my mouth on my arm, hesitantly looked her in the eyes and said "Thanks…"

"There is no need to thank me. I am merely doing as was instructed by Lady Remilia," she said.

And that was the last name that I ever wanted to hear again. I turned around and went back into my room, grumbling bitterly to myself. That horrifying encounter I had with that… thing… was still perfectly clear in my head. What happened wasn't possible, but whether or not it was possible was a moot point. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it and I have a feeling that was the intended purpose of that entire nightmare.

I sat at the edge of the bed, elbow on my knee and chin propped up on my fist. From the corner of my eye I could see that the maid was still standing right outside the door. I didn't look over at her, suspecting that she would just leave eventually, but she didn't.

"May I come it?" she eventually asked.

I lifted my head up and turned to face her. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. Come on in…" I answered and sat my chin back down on my fist.

The maid girl came in after getting my permission then approached me. She stopped beside me, provoking me to look up at her for a second before looking away again.

"Was there something else?" I asked. I knew there was, but I really didn't want to know.

"If you are feeling up to it, I would like for you to come with me," she said in a tranquil voice. Her voice sounded so much better when it's not being muffled from being on the other side of a door.

"Hm… And do what?" I asked. I tried to unsour my mood with humor by thinking perverted thoughts, but it didn't help at all. I was too much in a pissy mood.

"Our master would like to continue speaking with you," she said, and my top blew once again.

I sprang to my feet and stared down at the silver-haired girl, my entire body tensed up as I grew increasingly angrier by the second. "Wrong. You are so damn wrong with what you just said. What you should have said was MY master. Not OUR master. Get it?" I blasted the girl out of my bitterness and immediately felt bad for it. I got a hold of myself, sighed and took a step back from the girl. "Sorry, I just…"

I was still agitated as all hell about what had happened. I hoped the girl could tell just by looking at me because I had no words to explain how I was feeling. Luckily though, the girl did not look offended whatsoever.

"There is no need to apologize. You are still accommodating to your new life," she said.

Another drawn out sigh from me as I sat down on the bed. "Accommodating… Accommodating to the fact that some damn vampire bitch turned me into a monster against my will? Yeah, that would take some _accommodating_ now wouldn't it?" I replied wretchedly. I knew I was taking my immense frustration out on the wrong person, but I couldn't help it.

"Please don't call Milady such names. I am most certain she would never have embraced you if you hadn't agreed to it first," the maid girl said. I didn't believe her one bit.

"Oh, yeah? What makes you so sure about that?" I asked her.

"I have worked for Lady Remilia for a while and have seen the type of kindness you would be hard-pressed to find in any human society."

Again I didn't believe a damn word she said, but I didn't really think she was lying to me or anything. I mean, why would she? I don't think she was trying to actually convince me of anything either and was simply sharing her experiences here in this monster mansion. Made me wonder if she was as crazy as I was…

This led me to wonder what this girl was. Her skin was white, but it wasn't pale like that of the vampire (or my own, for that matter). Her skin was clearly different from the vampire's skin, appearing filled with plenty of life in its tone. The only way to figure out exactly what she was was to ask, and so I did.

"So… What are you?" I asked.

"I am just a mere human being employed here as Chief Maid," she humbly stated. I found it hard to believe, but again, I just didn't see any reason for her to want to lie to me. "My name is Sakuya Izayoi and we will be working together from here on out. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said and politely bowed to me.

So, Sakuya was her name. No clue how I was able to forget it, considering its uniqueness to me. But what troubled me was the part about us working together. Apparently she thought I was going to stay in this place for long. I had to correct her on that.

I stood back up and held my hand out, which she took in turn, and we shook hands in formal greeting. Sakuya's hands were nice and soft. I hoped I didn't squeeze too tightly and hurt the girl. I tend to give strong, assertive handshakes.

"It's really nice to meet you, Miss Izayoi, but I'm afraid I won't be working here. Not now. Not ever. Because I'm going to be leaving," I informed.

"Leaving? But you can't leave without our master's permission and I doubt she will let you leave so soon after creating you."

"Again you said-" I covered my mouth and walked away from the maid.

I stopped myself from continuing on with my thought because I felt my top was about to blow again. I don't know if she was deliberately trying to make me mad by continuing to refer to that blasted vampire as _our_ master, but it was working regardless of her intentions.

"I'm sorry if I angered you," Sakuya began. "But I am only speaking the truth."

I whipped around to face the maid. "You're wrong. That thing is not my master. She's not my anything and never will be. I didn't agree to this," I vented in suppressed anger.

"Again, I do not think she-"

And then my anger broke free. "I was two seconds from bleeding out and being dead before that haughty little cunt found me! Of course I would give her a bullshit answer in a state like that!" I shouted, my face heated. I quickly got my temper back under reasonable control and apologized to the maid. "I'm sorry…"

"Again, you do not need to be apologizing to-"

"No, no. I do need to apologize. I should not be yelling at you at all. It's that fucking pocket monster that I need to be bitching at," I said scornfully as I pointed at the open door and to wherever it was that thing dwelled. I started to take deep breaths to try and get my temper in check.

"The time Milady presented you with the offer may have not been the best of times, but maybe it was the one and only time? In the end, you did say yes to Milady and thus established a blood bond with her. You may not like the outcome of your decision, but you still have the responsibility to deal with the consequences of that decision."

It was pretty clear that Sakuya was not in any way going to side with me on this. To her, it was that vampire that was in the right and she was going to do nothing but try and convince me that I was the one who was wrong. But I'm not wrong. I was tricked into this and that's final.

"This is so bullshit…" I grumbled.

"If you are ready then let us go see our master. She's eager to begin your development."

I obviously wasn't going to be part of any development of any kind, but I had to meet with that vampire again and give her a piece of my mind. "Yeah, sure. Just lead the way, please."

With Sakuya at the head, we travelled through the mansion, passing by many of those littler maids again. Some of them stared oddly at me. Others smiled and waved and others paid me no attention. I happily waved back to those who waved to me, trying not to let all my raging emotions spoil everything there was to the place. There was only one being in this place that deserved all of my scorn.

After a trip through the mansion, we came to that throne room place. Sakuya headed for the door to the office then reached for the door handle. I rushed to stop her, grabbing the door handle before she could.

"Uh… Excuse me?" Sakuya said, confused with my action.

Truth be told, I had suddenly gotten cold feet. I was standing outside the door to the room where the demon resides. The very same demon that had terrified me into insanity then eagerly devoured me was just on the other side and I was about to enter it. Another truth be told… I was out of my bloody mind.

"Are you going to open the door or do you wish me to?" Sakuya asked.

I gathered all the courage that I could muster up, held my breath then turned the doorknob. I pushed the door open and marched myself in. I instantly froze up once I saw the light blue haired vampire sitting behind the desk.

 _I should of stayed in that damn room…_

She looked up at me and glared. Probably didn't like how I entered the room suddenly, but whatever. She dropped her pen on the desk, got out of her seat, circled around it and approached me. She wasn't wearing that white outfit like before. It was another black dress, but it had dark red trimmings and bow-like accessories to it. The red sash that held her skirt to her waist was tied into a large bow right below those demon wings of hers. If anything, this vampire sure liked her variety when it came to outfits.

Her eyes still narrowed, the vampire girl stopped right at arm's length from me and placed her hands on her hips. "I hope you realized the kindness that I have shown you by letting you leisurely sit around your room, boy."

 _I want to take your little head and slam it into the floor so badly…_

"Now that you have accepted your place, I shall continue on with-"

"That's where I stop you," I quickly interrupted, angering the short vampire. "First off, you tricked me into letting you change me into this thing. Secondly, there's not a chance in hell that I'd serve you. Thirdly, I'm leaving."

The vampire said nothing and just continued to glare up at me with those freakish eyes. She was trying to scare me again, but it wasn't going to work this time. "Take your clothes off," she ordered.

"I…" I wasn't sure I heard her correctly. "Wait, what?"

"I need to inspect you so off with your clothes. Now," she said.

I stood dumbfounded in silence for a moment, wondering why on earth she would try and order me to do such a thing. In any case, I didn't really care because I wasn't going to do it.

"Uh… No. Wait… HELL no is more like it," I responded curtly.

The arrogant vampire's eyes glowed, that sinister light making me shiver just a little. _Keep trying to scare me all you want, you bitch…_

"Take your clothes off. Now."

She repeated her absurd order again, but it was different this time. Her voice just didn't seem natural at all, having some strange echo to it that vibrated in my mind. It stung my brain, inflicting me with an eerie discomfort.

"I order you to remove your clothes, fledgling," the devil said.

I felt pain in my chest and I was beginning to sweat. For some stupid reason I wanted to just do as she said. Why? No clue. It wasn't because of fear, though. I know it wasn't. I wasn't scared of her even after what she did to me. In fact, I was simply livid with her, but there was this weird feeling that told me to just do as I was told – an otherworldly feeling that was compelling me to obey. It was like a nauseating sense of anxiety that just continued to get worse and worse as I continued to ignore the order ringing in my head.

I figured she was trying to pull some sort of Jedi mind trick on me or something. But instead of letting her get the one up on me, I decided to turn the tables on her and willingly do what she said. What did I have to lose? It wasn't like I cared at all about taking my clothes off in front of the dingbat. I just didn't want to out of concern for Sakuya. But as to not lose to the vampire's tricks, I did as I was told to.

I sighed in relief when that feeling of anxiety suddenly lifted, making it easier to breathe again. I sat my hateful eyes on the vampire, unbuttoned my shirt and threw it off, followed by my pants. I held out my arms to my sides so the little wench could get a good look.

"There. You happy?" I said pettishly.

"You forgot something."

"Huh?"

"Your underwear. Remove those as well."

All I could do was sneer at the vampire's ridiculous demand and simply said "No."

The vampire sighed tiredly then eyed the Chief Maid. "Sakuya, if you please…"

"Yes, Milady," the maid answered.

Not even a second after the vampire's request to the Chief Maid was made did my boxer briefs end up at my ankles.

So… As I stood there with my cock and balls out in full view of the public, I came to the understanding that what was happening to me at that very moment was divine punishment. I may not have been able to remember what it was I did during my lifetime, but I tried to have faith in God that it was absolutely horrendous in order to justify the sort of mental torment that I was currently going through.

The accursed vampire brought her hand over the shining grin she had as she eyed my groin. "Oh, my… You shave. It is good to see you had a sense of good hygiene," she commented.

"I do?!" I exclaimed, my eyes shooting straight down to my manhood to find that the vampire spoke the truth. _Well, I be damned…_

The vampire went on with her retarded inspection, first scanning my front side then walking around to check out the back. She went "Hmm," a few times as well as giggle while she studied me. And while she did all of this, I argued with myself as to why the hell I was letting the little wench do as she pleased. Once she was done, she returned to her place in front of me.

The vampire gave one final scan of my front. "Not bad… Not bulky, but toned… You appear to have been a healthy individual. The only problem I have with your body is those disgusting paintings littering it."

I looked down at myself to see what she was talking about. I then took notice for the first time the tattoos I possessed. I only had a few on the front (some black upside down crescent on my abs) and strange black markings on both of my upper arms that appeared to continue to my back. In all honestly, I thought they looked pretty cool. Then again, I obviously must have gotten them done before this nightmare began so the vampire can go fry in the sun for all I care.

I quickly pulled my boxers back up and got my pajamas back on. "There. You got yourself a look, your perverted Highness. Was there anything else I could do for you? Want me to turn my head and cough by any chance?" I said scornfully.

"Watch your tongue with me, boy. I expect my servants to speak with high respectfulness when conversing with me and that goes double for you, my childe," she said in an aggressive tone.

I had tried to keep my temper from getting the best of me, but no more!

"Were you ignoring me before, you little sleaze?! I told you I'm not your damn servant! Not now, not ever!" I shouted.

The vampire was unfazed by the anger in my voice. She merely stared at me for a moment then spoke. "Take a knee," she commanded.

"You are ignoring me. Well, then that's just fine 'n dandy. I'm sick and tired of trying to talk to you anyways," I snapped back.

"I said take a knee," she repeated, her voice echoing in my head as her eyes glowed hellishly.

The unexplainable anxiety came flooding back. It put such a huge amount of pressure on my chest that I could hardly draw even the smallest of breaths. For some ungodly reason, I did not want to disobey the vampire. But, again, it was not out of fear or anything like that. It was a feeling I've never experienced before in my life. How on Earth could I possibly explain it?

My fists were shaking at my side as I glared hatefully at the vampire. I smiled lividly at the condescending devil as I slowly lowered myself onto one knee. I laughed a little at the absurdity of all of that was happening.

"Oh, this is just cute," I said waspishly. "I don't know what you're doing to me, but it won't work every time."

"Oh, on the contrary, my pet," the vampire began with a pompous smile. "Our relationship as sire and servant commands that the servant – you – must forever obey the sire – that's me – for as long as the blood bond holds, regardless of the feelings each may have towards the other."

The vampire stepped closer to me and gently placed her hands on other side of my face, freezing me still with her cold touch. She moved her face close to mine, looked down at me with those evil eyes and pierced into my soul. I thought I was going to lose my mind again, to start screaming maddeningly.

"To refuse… even the most simplest of commands… will only bring you unfettered anguish," she said then softly blew on my lips. I screamed, but it went unheard as it was only in my head.

I think I was sweating again. "That's… not true," I said weakly. It couldn't be true because if it was then I was far more screwed than I could possibly imagine.

"It is true," the vampire said plainly then pushed my face away and walked off, stopping then turning on her heel to face me. "If you are capable, continue to resist the mental anguish of disobeying your sire and you will damage your psyche to the point that your mind breaks, leaving your body behind to do whatever I say anyways. As easy it would be for me, I'd rather have a servant that can think instead of a mindless zombie."

A sickening feeling filled my stomach because I believed her. I shot up onto my feet in a panic. "No! There's no fucking way! I won't believe it!" I yelled. Even though I knew it was true, I continued to deny it as reality. I pointed menacingly at the vampire in front of me, my vision wading in and out of focus. "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't do the bidding of some godless monster!" Fallen into a state of denial and ire, control over myself was lost and my senses collapsed, putting the room into a spin.

 _Room… won't… stop… spinning…_

"You keep babbling on about blood bonds and shit, but none of that means a damn thing to me! You hear me?!" I shouted again, as loudly as I possibly could.

 _I'm so fucking dizzy…_

"Now, I'm gonna walk out of here and it will be the last time either of us sees or speaks to one another!"

 _Oh, God…_

"Sakuya," the vampire gestured.

"Yes, Milady," the maid answered.

Unable to deal with the constant spinning of the room, I fell to my knees and my stomach's contents came flying out of my mouth. I vomited a few times in quick succession, coming to realize that I was puking into a bucket after the third or fourth hurl. The fifth time was the last and I was allowed to breathe. I sat down, panting in exhaustion as I stared at the green slime I had emptied into the bucket. I still felt dizzy. Too much was being thrown at me to handle. I couldn't catch it all, and what I did catch was thrown down at the ground in my denial.

There was a silence that lasted for a good while before the vampire spoke up.

"It looks like you don't quite get it," the vampire said in a sad tone. "Some time in a prison cell should help straighten you up. Despite the defiance you displayed here again, I will be merciful and only have you spend six months in dark solitude."

I couldn't help but laugh a little at the threat. Smiling with my teeth clenched tightly together, I slowly got back up to my feet.

"Prison? Let me guess… You're the one who's gonna drag me there? You gonna unleash your inner beast on me again until I run scared into a cell? Well good fucking luck," I snarled.

"Oh, heavens no," the vampire replied with a chuckle then smiled as she pointed to the maid behind me. "Sakuya will take you there."

I stared blankly for a moment, dumbfounded. After that, I turned my blank stare to the Chief Maid, Sakuya. After looking her up and down and not spotting a single threatening thing about her, I faced the vampire again and laughed at her for a bit.

"You can't be serious," I said.

The vampire formed an unnerving grin. "Oh, my pet. Mmh-hmm… You simply have no idea. This truly is going to be a nice learning experience… I'm looking forward to it."

I didn't know why the vampire was sounding so confident and I didn't want to find out. Sakuya, the human maid girl, walked up to me. Oddly enough, she respectfully bowed once to me.

"If you would excuse me…" Sakuya said politely.

Maybe it was because I had just vomited my guts out, but I was beginning to think that this girl was actually going to try and fight with me. The vampire really is a blasted wench, thinking I would strike at this poor girl. She was only a maid and did not need to get involved with the dispute me and the vampire bitch were having.

I forced a kind smile for the maid. "Look, honey… I know you're just trying to be a good Boss Maid, but this is just stupid. Don't do something she says if it could get you hurt," I said softly.

Sakuya said nothing and just stared at me with those clear blue eyes. She then smiled at me, a very pretty smile, and placed a hand up onto my shoulder. Suddenly, she was no longer standing in front of me. But that wasn't the shocking part. Not only was the Chief Maid not in front of me, but I wasn't even in the same room I was in just a second ago.

"Wha-What the…" I muttered, clueless to whatever had happened.

I have no idea how, but I found myself surrounded by gloomy black stone stained with slimy dampness in places. It was cold and hard to breathe in. The room was very small, having barely any floor space for me to lie down and be stretched fully out. There were no windows or lit candles, leaving the room completely dark. Somehow, I was still able to see relatively well despite the lack of any light. I looked around the tiny room in search of the door, but, to my horror, I found no such thing.

"No fucking way…!" I gasped.

I started pounding on the walls, screaming and hollering in a desperate bid to be heard. There was no way that vampire was going to keep me locked in this tiny place for six months. She wasn't serious about that. She couldn't be serious about it… Could she?


	5. Chapter 4 The Chain

I sat hugging my knees to my chest, my head resting on my knees. My breathing was quiet and shallow. Barely even there, I suppose. It felt as if I was suffocating, leading me to believe that if I were still human then I would have been dead hours after being in this hole. But here I was, heart still beating even after all this time trapped in this small, dark space. I don't know how long it has been. A couple weeks maybe and already my mental state was breaking apart. My thirst for something to drink made it even worse by such a huge margin. The only two things I could think about was getting out of this hole then chugging some sort of cold liquid. But I had resigned to the fact that I was really going to spend six months in this prison. Six months was more than enough time to go insane.

I was certain I wouldn't make it through my prison sentence and panicked some. I stood up quickly from my resting position and started gliding my hands all over the stone walls and ceiling in search of any loose areas that I could potentially break through into softer earth and dig my way out. Problem was, I had already searched dozens of times before and found nothing. I was trying the same thing over and over again without achieving anything. A perfect example of insanity.

I hadn't noticed, but my teeth were clenched tightly together in my frantic search. With each second my search turned fruitless, the tighter I clenched my teeth. Soon enough, I snapped and started shouting a multitude of curse words at the walls and at the creature that imprisoned me in here. After using up all the air in my lungs from yelling wildly, I threw a punch at the stone wall in a sudden burst of mindless rage. As you could probably guess, it hurt like hell. I believe I even broke my knuckles with that single punch. But that didn't stop me from punching the wall a second time. Soon, I was alternating between each fist, striking the wall with reckless abandon. My senses to pain quickly went numb. I don't even think I knew what I was doing or what I was trying to accomplish after a while.

A miracle eventually took place once my fists were covered in blood. The stone was crumbling away. In fact, I had punched a good size hole into the wall. Out of breath, I stared at the hole, noticing a very small speck of light. It was that light that gave me just the hope I needed to break out and escape from the enclosed hell.

With the newfound hope as my weapon, I smashed the side of my arm against the wall, numb to the heavy pain that came quickly after. Another blow to the stone wall, and the stone wall crumbled to my feet. Unfortunately though, that was just the first layer of stone. There was another, but that spec of light was shining just a bit more and that was a sign for me to continue onward.

Each blow I delivered seemed to get stronger and stronger. I guess it was the smell of freedom that was growing in intensity with every layer of stone I broke through that was fueling me with unnatural strength. Just minutes before I began digging, I was feeling miserably weak, but not now. I felt like I could keep up the pace for hours.

After some amount of time that whizzed by me without notice, I had finally come to the final layer of stone. The dim light behind it passed through the many cracks already in the wall. There was no hesitation with the final blow. The final blow was my strongest yet, unneededly so. I bit down hard on my teeth then threw my entire weight forward. I blasted through the wall and fell a few feet.

"Oof! Ahhg…"

I had landed face-first onto a stone floor. I took a few seconds to savor the freedom I had obtained and to catch my breath before rising to my feet.

The first thing I did was look at the state of my arms. What I found was unbelievable. No injuries whatsoever could be seen. There was plenty of my blood, but no open wounds from which the blood came from. I was more surprised than I should have been, really. After all, I was chewed to death and spat out by that vampire and somehow lived. I made an educated guess and figured it had something to do with the creature I had become. It was very convenient for sure, but the unnaturalness of it sickened me.

The second thing I did was scan my surroundings, unsurprisingly finding myself to be in a sort of prison block or dungeon. It didn't take me two seconds to figure out where I wasn't going to stay any longer.

I quickly, but stealthily, made my way through the medieval-style prison. I moved stealthily because I had decided that now was the golden opportunity for me to get my ass out of the mansion of hell. If I were caught then I very well could end up right back in a hole somewhere. With that in mind, I kept quiet and my eyes peeled.

I passed by a number of jail cells. Most were empty, but few had some prisoners in them. One tried to talk to me, but I didn't understand the language he used. He didn't seem eager to get out like I was expecting a prisoner of such a place to be, and he seemed to look at me with eyes of contempt. I didn't think he liked me so I didn't like him either and just continued on my way through the dungeon.

I found a flight of cold stone stairs that led up and up I went. I then came to an iron door that I slowly pushed opened, trying to be as quiet as I could be. I peeked out, finding a hallway that confirmed that I was now back on the main floor of the mansion. Seeing no one around, I stepped out and slowly made my way down the hallway, my ears listening for any of those little maids.

I made it to the end of the hallway and stopped right at the corner. Looking around the corner revealed a number of those maid girls at work. I immediately put my mind to work on a plan to get by them without being seen. Unfortunately, it was hard to think. I was still mentally exhausted after spending only God knows how long in that tiny space. I was so exhausted that I didn't even realize the girl standing right behind me until she spoke.

"You've escaped," the girl said.

I jumped up in reaction to the voice, grabbed the body it came from, twirled her around and held her like a hostage with a hand cupped over her mouth. I then realized who it was that I had just grabbed.

"Ah… Boss Maid," I said, my voice coming out awfully dry and shallow.

The Chief Maid, Sakuya, slowly removed my trembling hand from her mouth, calmly stepped away from me and faced me. She coughed in her hand before speaking.

"Hello to you too, sir," she said. She didn't look at all offended with the way I just grabbed her, making the awkward encounter a little less awkward.

"Oh… Um… Miss Izayoi, right? Um…" I jumbled with my words.

I was really hoping not to get caught, having had no plans in case that I did. But I wasn't about to let myself be thrown into a dark hole again. Not this time. If I had to I would throw the girl to the floor and make a full on sprint to the exit.

"Impressive," Sakuya said, looking surprised with my break out. She then formed an unexpected smile. "Lady Remilia will be most pleased to know that you broke free sooner than expected," she said happily.

 _Wait… Huh…?_ I stared stupidly at Sakuya for several seconds.

"That vampire… expected me to get out of there?" I asked for much needed clarification.

Sakuya nodded. "At first she had low expectations and had guessed it would be three weeks by the time you broke yourself free. But then she mentioned your stubbornness and how it would pull you through and decided it would be only two weeks before you got out. But you have broken even that high expectation. She will be very happy to hear that it only took you five days," she said.

"Five days…" I uttered quietly to myself.

It would appear that I had only been in that small prison for five days even though it felt like it had been much longer than that. But the weird part was how the Chief Maid was making it sound like it was an accomplishment that I had bailed myself out instead of a crime. Not to mention it sounded as if that blasted vampire had planned on me escaping. But… Why?

"You said that vampire expected me to get out… What do you mean by that exactly?" I asked.

"Milady said she wanted to test you on how quickly you could discover your unnatural strength."

"Test me…" I said, angrily astounded. "Are you telling me that she didn't even intend on leaving me locked up for six months?"

Sakuya shook her head no, and I began to rage inside. "She did not intend to, but if you had, then it would have merely meant that you were weak and unfit to be her servant," she said.

"Shut up," I ordered as I pointed an assertive finger at the maid, my eyes set intensely on hers. "I'm nobody's servant. I'm nobody's anything. Are we clear on that?"

Sakuya just stared back nonchalantly. The girl seemed to not like to show a lot of emotion. Might be part of her job or something.

"Then what will you do?" Sakuya asked me, her expression suddenly serious.

The question caught me off guard. What was I going to do? I was going to get out of the house on haunted hill, but then what? Where would I go? I didn't even know if I was on the same planet anymore let alone the same country. And as hard as it was to accept, I was something that wasn't human. To say that I was a vampire was, at the moment, too much for me. I had yet to fully accept that part. I wondered if I ever would…

I thought long and hard to come up with an answer that was acceptable not just for Sakuya, but for myself also, but I couldn't. All I could do was sigh depressingly before responding.

"I donno…" I said.

"Then let us go see Milady," Sakuya said. "I know you have unfavorable feelings for her, but like it or not, she is the one who sired you and thus is the only one that can give you any kind of direction. So for the time being, why don't you accept your role as her servant and learn what you can from her? You won't survive outside the mansion's walls otherwise," she suggested.

And it was a reasonable suggestion too. I didn't like it, but I was in no place to do anything about it. I hated how right Sakuya was. A part of what she said bugged me though. It left me with a question that I had not thought of before until now.

"Uh, Miss Izayoi?"

"You may call me Sakuya if it is easier for you," Sakuya said.

"Sakuya… You said you worked for that vampire for a while, right?"

"That is correct," she said and looked quite happy to say it.

"Is there by any chance that you may know WHY she made me into this… thing?" I asked.

It was a question that I think I would kill in order to get an answer for. I have this feeling that creating vampires wasn't exactly a hobby or something simple like it. Either that or I was subconsciously trying to search for a more meaningful reason, something that would make sense of all of this madness.

Sakuya said nothing at first, shrugging her shoulders a few seconds afterwards and frowned. "No clue," she answered bluntly.

"Really?" I asked, not sure if she just didn't want to tell me or if she really didn't know.

"The fact that Lady Remilia had sired someone was a complete shock that ran throughout the entire mansion. As far as I know, she has never sired anyone before."

"Really?!" I exclaimed. "Wait a minute… I think I remember her saying that she didn't before…" I mentioned.

It was true. I remembered it clearly from that dream and now I really wanted to know the vampire's reason for changing me. The reality is that I'm just another dude under the vast, blue sky, so why me?

"It just happened so suddenly… One night she did one of her normal disappearances, except this time she was gone for several days and when she finally returned she had a body in her arms… You."

I scratched the back of my head. "What the hell…?" I muttered in confusion under my breath.

"The only one who knows why Lady Remilia decided to sire you is only known by Lady Remilia herself and herself alone. So I'm afraid that if you wish to find out her reasoning behind your embrace then you will have to find out through her," Sakuya stated.

More things that I did not want to hear from the Chief Maid. I did want to know, really I did, but how the hell was I going to get the bitch of all vampires to tell me? I guess simply asking would be a good start, but after the way I've acted towards her I strongly doubted that it was going to be that easy. But regardless, I decided to put my escape from the mansion on hold for the time being and go speak with the wench. And let's be realistic… I wasn't going to get out of the mansion in the current, mentally exhaustive state that I was in. Hell, I would bet that it would only take ten of those little fairy girls to tackle me to the ground if they chose to.

I sighed despondently and said "Alright… take me to the glorious leader…"

And Sakuya smiled brightly with my compliance. "Just follow me."

Another trip through the mansion and we arrived at the vampire's office. She was doing paper work or whatever it is she does behind that desk when we walked in. She looked up and glared the second she laid eyes on me. Sakuya said she would be happy to see that I broke free so soon. I think she was full of shit.

"What took you?" she asked me crossly.

 _What a bitch…_

I wanted to yell at her until I passed out for locking me away in some hole, but I was too tired to even do that so I just kept my mouth closed.

"Step forward," she ordered and, bitterly, I did as I was told.

The vampire got up from her seat, approached me then gave me a quick look over. She had a content expression once she was done. "Now, let us continue where we left off before. There are a few important things we need to do, but first I must name my new servant," she said. I heard a little bit of eagerness in her voice at the end there.

I sneered from being treated like some household pet. "I have a fucking name, thank you very much," I said venomously.

"Oh, do you? Then by all means, fledgling, tell me this name of yours," she said sardonically.

And now I was really in a bind. I still hadn't remembered my name. My own blasted name was gone from me, taken by this blood-sucking wench. But I had to say something. There was no way I could give the bitch the courtesy in giving me whatever name she so desired. I desperately tried to remember my name for the sake of my fragile independence.

 _Come on, man, remember. Remember who you are…_

"Simba," I said and I felt a little part of me die inside.

"Wrong," the vampire said then pulled out a wallet from her pocket – _my_ wallet – and peered into it.

"That's mine! Give it to me!" I shouted and reached for the wallet, but a sudden, painful fire in my heart brought me to my knees in an instant. I gasped strenuously as I clenched at my chest.

The vampire's widened eyes were glowing as she glared at me. "Careful, boy… Reaching out at your master like that is something you may want to avoid doing."

The pain was unbearable. It was as if my heart had suddenly been submerged into molten steel.

"What the- What the fuck are you doing to me…?!" I asked forcefully with a strained voice.

"Oh, nothing. Just using a handy little ability that will help me train you. Think of it as a spray bottle used on disobedient dogs," the vampire wench said indifferently as she rummaged through my wallet.

I tried pushing myself back up to my feet against the burning agony, but it just wasn't happening. "S-Stop! Knock it off!" I yelled and, suddenly, the pain was gone. I took a few deep breaths before I looked up to see that the vampire's eyes weren't glowing anymore then stood up. I scowled at the bitch.

The vampire pulled out a card and looked at it. It was my driver's license. "The name here certainly isn't Simba. I hope you now understand that your memories for when you were human are lost forever. They are meaningless to you in this immortal life so don't think of it as much of a loss," she said.

Without any emotion at all, this vampire dwarf had just told me that all those years of my life were pointless. Repeatedly she was able to find ways to anger me that I wondered if she would ever run out of ways. This vampire was truly a monstrous bitch.

The vampire tucked my driver's license back into my wallet then looked up at me. "I was using the time you were in the dungeon to come up with a good name for you. A noble name fit for a servant of mine."

"This is fucking unbelievable…" I muttered my thoughts out loud as the vampire stood ready to give me a new name, a name I will forever despise, along with the name Remilia Scarlet.

"From this day forward, your name shall be… Isaac."

Isaac… I was going to be forced to wear that name and it was going to be tightly worn around my neck. I could already feel it strangling me…


	6. Chapter 5 Widening World

The vampire was kind enough to let me rest after having left me to rot in a hole for five days and after giving me a name that acted less than a name and more like a chain around my neck. Before she let me off the hook for the rest of the day, I had to stand there in place like a good soldier while I listened to her repeat the name over and over again until I was about ready to puncture my own eardrums. The damn creature looked so proud of herself every time she called me _Isaac_. Answering to that name will never be easy and always painful.

I spent the following day mostly in the confines of my room and only opened the door when Sakuya came by with something to drink for me. At one point she asked me to follow her around in order for her to show me some of the mansion and I, hesitantly, went with her. In all honestly, I was a little curious of the place and sitting in a room by myself gets old real fast. There's only so much a guy can do by himself alone. Take that anyway you wish.

The place turned out to be incredibly huge and we didn't even get to most of the mansion. In fact, she had only showed me around the west wing of the building where my room happened to be located in. I had asked where in the mansion the tiny owner resided in and was told the north wing, so now I know what part of the mansion I will be staying away from.

Sakuya was nice enough to answer a couple essential questions I had such as where exactly in Hell was I. It would seem that I am now living in a place called Gensokyo. When I asked what country Gensokyo was located in, I had sighed in relief when I was told Japan. Being told that I was still on Earth greatly helped my brittle sanity. The only thing helping it before was Sakuya's presence. If I didn't have a human being (a fine piece of work of a human female) to talk to I probably would have truly broken down by now. Knowing she's around helps me feel… well, human. She's the lifesaver that's keeping me afloat in this ravenous sea of insanity.

She didn't go into detail about Gensokyo and simply told me to go to her master (she said _our_ master, but I ignored that part) for further information on the strange world. I respectfully declined.

Another question was what sort of people (more specifically, what sort of _creatures_ ) lived in the mansion. The maids with fairy wings were exactly that – fairies. Nothing to be concerned about, thankfully. I was told that the fairy girls were all maids that lived and worked within the mansion. No idea what would possess them to want to work in a mansion of a night stalker, but whatever. Wasn't any of my business. There were a few other residents that weren't fairies, but Sakuya said that she thinks her master would rather introduce me to them herself if she so desires. If I run into anyone else in the mansion then I'm introducing myself to them with or without that vampire's consent – assuming they were humans like Sakuya, that is. I don't think I'm strong enough yet to meet any nonhumans.

After only a little over a day since I was named had passed by, I was told of what exactly I was going to do while I was forced to stay in the Devil's mansion. Reasonably, I was feeling a little edgy to what the vampire wanted of me. She was a vampire, for Pete's sake, so it was perfectly sensible for me to expect the worst. Thankfully, none of the horrible things I was thinking of would come to light.

I stood on a small platform as I stared gruffly at the full-length mirror in front of me. Sakuya was present and she had just helped me into what may as well have been an orange jumpsuit considering my imprisonment in the mansion. I never hated looking at myself so much before in my entire life. The stupid black suit I was in was bad enough, but seeing the eyes of that evil vampire in my skull really made me want to throw myself out a window.

"Un… fucking… believable…" I uttered subconsciously.

Sakuya was doing some measurements to make sure that the suit was fitted to me to absolute perfection. She glanced at me through the mirror before bringing my arms out to the side and measuring them both. "Don't use foul language like that in front of Milady or her guests," she said then pushed my arms back down to my side and grabbed a comb. This was probably the seventh time she's combed my hair.

"This is just some retarded dream. I'll wake up soon and shake it off like any other nightmare," I said.

"I'm afraid not, Isaac," Sakuya said then looked me over, searching for anything that was off to her.

"You're probably just some chick I met before at a Hooter's or something. That's why you're here," I said as I tried to rationalize everything around me. I even pictured Sakuya in a Hooter's uniform. Not a bad picture by any stretch of the imagination.

"Never heard of such a place," Sakuya flatly said. She stood in place right in front of me and scanned me prudently. Suddenly, she looked upset. "Damn it. This doesn't look right," she muttered with a huff then started unbuttoning my shirt.

I pushed her arms down. "Will you knock it off? Look." I grabbed Sakuya and had her face the mirror with me and presented the goofy looking bastard in it with my right hand. "Look. No amount of fondling you do to me is gonna make me look any less queer. Alright?"

"Oh, stop. You look just fine," she said then returned to unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it off of me, leaving me in some dumb, fancy white shirt that was underneath.

"Then what's the deal, eh?" I asked as I watched her trim the collar of the shirt with a small pair of scissors.

"You look _fine_ , but you don't look _perfect_."

"Oh, for the love of…" I looked back at the mirror and just stared at the abomination that was my reflection. "I'd get kicked out of a gay bar looking like this."

Sakuya returned with the shirt and started putting it back on me. She must have modified the shirt at least a dozen times so far. "You look like a respectful servant of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. But I'm going to have to work on your uniform later so I can get it perfect. This will have to do for now."

"I am not a butler," I stated firmly. "I'll pull my own weight, but this is ridiculous. Put a damn wrench in my hand. Even that runty vampire has to have some machinery that needs maintenance in this oversized place, right?"

"The only machines you will find in Gensokyo are the ones made by the kappas," Sakuya informed.

"The what now? Uhg… Just forget it…" I said as a headache started to form.

"There's nothing to worry about. I haven't had the time to properly train you because of the preparations for the gathering so you won't have to do much," Sakuya said as she checked her own appearance in the mirror, making sure nothing was uneven or wrong. Everything needed to be perfect for her, for whatever reason. At least I got to look at her butt for a little bit while she messed with her appearance, help me forget the horror show that was about to begin.

I groaned miserably. "I'd rather be back in that hole."

"Well, if you hadn't gotten out of it so quickly then you wouldn't have had to participate in this evening's banquet."

"You say that as if it is my fault."

"It is," Sakuya said coldly.

"Figures…" I grumbled.

I broke out into a cold sweat when the thought hit me of the kinds of guests the vampire had invited. It's a high probability that she's invited more of her vampire buddies to her mansion which left me with a nauseating feeling deep in my stomach. The thought of being surrounded by things that could barely be considered living easily terrified me to the point of wanting to vomit.

"Stop sweating. It's making you look unpresentable," Sakuya ordered as she glared at me, showing me her disapproval.

"You really have been doing this for a while, huh? Waiting on vampires, I mean."

"Good grief…" Sakuya pulled out a handkerchief and roughly wiped my face with it. "The only vampires in Gensokyo are the ones living in this mansion at this very moment," she said.

 _Praise the fucking Lord._

I let out a big breath of air. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that."

"Most of the guests are other types of youkai, but some are humans as well."

It was quite obvious that I was clueless as to what a youkai was going by the utterly stumped expression I had, as most normal people would be. "Da hell's a youkai?" I asked.

"Supernatural beings, basically."

"Oh, now I feel all giddy inside knowing that," I said, sounding sarcastically bitter.

"You're a vampire so you have nothing to really be afraid of," Sakuya said. Most of her words went in one ear and out the other. "All you will need to do is stand still with a plate of drinks for the guests to take as they please."

Sakuya grabbed my left arm and pulled it around behind me. She forced my hand into a fist and placed it directly on my lower back. With my left arm apparently where she wanted it, she then took my right arm and bent my elbow until it was at a ninety degree angle with my upper arm parallel with the floor. She then walked over to the table and grabbed a large, round plate. She brought it to me and sat it on the tips of the fingers and thumb of my right hand. We both then took a look in the mirror. She smiled at what she saw and I cried inside at what I saw.

I stared back at my pitiful reflection and said "Shoot. Me. Now…"

* * *

So, the party started and I was placed in an easily accessible spot by Sakuya to stand with drinks for people to freely take. She had actually carried the plate out herself because she and God knew there was no chance in hell that I was going to be able to carry it out myself without spilling anything. Hell, just standing still in the awkward posture Sakuya forced me in was a challenge on its own. At least I didn't have to walk around, but knowing that did little to provide me any meaningful amount of comfort.

The banquet wasn't nearly as big as I was expecting it to be and thank God for that. I was already feeling nauseous with the number of guests that were present and couldn't imagine how I'd feel if the crowd had been even a little bit bigger. But regardless of the number of guests, I was going to just pretend to be a statue and stare off into my own imagination. That was my plan at least, but trying to act like some random decoration was harder than expected. The fact that I was the only guy in the room did not help me in my journey to go unnoticed.

I've never felt so alienated before in my life. Try as I might, I could not spot a single male soul in the entire ballroom. You'd think it wouldn't make a lick of difference and I didn't think it would either at first. I should be feeling happy to have nothing but females to look at, but that was not the case at all. Not even close. I felt like some sort of exotic animal put out on display for all the paying customers to see and observe, a caged beast for their petty amusement. And I think that was the demon's very intention when she forced me to help out in this party.

Speaking of the demon, she herself sat a table far from earshot of me. Again, she was in a different styled dress. It seems every time I see her she's wearing something different. This time she went with something casual it would look like. A simple pink dress with the bear minimum of accessories tacked onto it. Her cap, as expected, matched her pink dress. Typical yuppie little princess with her numerous outfits…

The vampire was having a one-on-one chat with a blonde woman about who-knows-what. The woman in question actually looked like a woman unlike someone whom I could mention. She wasn't oriental like Sakuya was. At least I didn't think she was. Was hard to tell at the distance I was from her. But one thing was for certain and that was that she was a gorgeous-looking blonde. The dress she was wearing was a little strange for my taste (it was an old-style European dress of some kind), but that didn't stop me from looking at her in wonderment. Her blooming blonde hair flowed down from underneath a white cap with a red ribbon tied into a slim bow around it. I caught sight of her eyes. Not that they were hard to miss – they were an elegant gold. Now what was she? Human or otherwise? Was hard to tell exactly.

Now for the second blonde at the table. She had decided not to sit and instead stood next to her fellow blonde. This lady was clearly not human. Any blind idiot could see that. But even knowing her inhuman nature, she was just as striking as the blonde sitting down. The bushel of animal-like tails (fox tails?) behind her was a jarring sight. It beat the hell out of bat wings, that's for sure. She wore a mostly white robe with a blue print on the front of it. On her head sat a white cap with two tails. If there were animal ears under that cap then I swear I would piss myself silly.

The vampire and her chatting partner made a glance in my direction suddenly, forcing me to focus my sight somewhere else for the time being. I wondered where their eyes went exactly.

A third blonde – a teenage blonde this time – came up to me with an energetic smile and snagged herself a wineglass from the plate I held. It was rude, but I couldn't help but stare at the outfit she was wearing. Mine deserved to be laughed at and all, but hers deserved a different kind of ridicule. Was she really wearing something the Wicked Witch of the West would wear?

"Cheers, big guy!" the girl said, held the glass up to me in a toast and drank it all in a single gulp. "Aah! That's some good stuff. Thanks, pal!" She placed the empty glass back on the plate and trotted off.

I breathed in deeply then let it all out in one big, disgruntled sigh. _I would kill to be somewhere else right now…_

"You're doing fine, Isaac," said Sakuya, as if having read my mind. She stood next to me and observed all the guests.

I felt a little better having someone I knew to accompany me in this zoo I was detained in. "Could you answer a question for me? Been dying to ask since you left me out here," I inquired.

"What is it?"

"Is this just a party for those without a Y chromosome?"

"Oh. Well, no. All the guests today just so happen to be female," Sakuya stated.

"Then why the hell am I getting stared at so much? It's the damn suit, ain't it?" I asked stressfully.

"Don't be silly," Sakuya said. She side-stepped closer to me and lowered her voice some before continuing on with her thought. "No one outside the mansion had any idea there was a newborn vampire living here until now. They are just as shocked as I was when Lady Remilia brought you home. I'm amazed no one has confronted you about it yet." Her eyes did a quick sweep of the room. "Hmm… They may be waiting for Milady to say something about it, if I had to wager a guess."

I sneered a little. "So, she is just showing off her new _pet_ ," I said as I glared at the vampire with scorn. My eyes then went to the two blondes with her. "Who is she talking with?"

"Lady Remilia would rather introduce you… but I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you their names," Sakuya said. "The lady she's speaking with right now is Yukari Yakumo. She's the head of the Yakumo family and a powerful youkai so if you ever find yourself in her presence, make sure to behave yourself like you would around Lady Remi- err, just behave yourself."

"Not human, eh? That sucks…" I commented. Was honestly hoping that particular lady was human. I didn't hope hard enough it would seem.

"The one next to her is named Ran Yakumo. She's the shikigami of Yukari."

"You know you can't use big words with me," I kindly reminded.

"A servant, basically," Sakuya rephrased.

I shot a glance at a group of guests who all appeared to be younger than Sakuya – a bunch of teens. They conversed with one another, occasionally making peeks at me. The Wicked Witch of the West was among the three.

"How about them?" I asked.

"The one in the red and white is a human named Reimu Hakurei. She's a shrine maiden. The one with the doll sitting on her shoulder is named Alice Margatroid. She's a magician who specializes in magic puppetry."

"A magician? Oh, good Lord…" I uttered in disbelief.

"The one dressed like a witch goes by Marisa Kirisame. She's just as she looks – a human witch."

More humans other than Sakuya… Nice to know, but it didn't make me any happier knowing more humans existed in this world like I had hoped. Knowing that just a single vampire breathed the same air as I did was enough to make my skin crawl.

Sakuya let out a disgruntled sigh. "The witch wasn't even invited…" she mumbled.

"Pfft! Say what?" I said with a smirk. "If she's not invited then why is she here?"

"It's complicated," Sakuya stated. Her eyes suddenly widened for a brief moment. "Oh! Milady wishes for you to approach."

I looked to where the demon sat to see her and her blonde guest looking in our direction. The demon was gesturing with her finger for someone to go over there. "I think she wants you," I said.

"No, she requires you, now go." Sakuya gently pushed me forward.

"Dear Christ!" I exclaimed as I nearly lose the plate in my hand. Miraculously, none of the glasses tipped over. I glared at Sakuya. "I can barely balance this frikn' thing while standing and you want me to walk with it?"

"I'll be right behind you," she said. "I'll prevent it from falling if you lose balance."

"Uh, how exactly?" I asked, befuddled.

"Just trust me," she urged.

What choice did I have? I didn't want to go near the winged creature. Not by a long shot. But with Sakuya pushing me, I was left little chance to resist. With a deep breath, I took one, careful step forward, slowly getting my pace started before heading off.

Walking with the plate balanced on my fingers was actually not as hard as I thought it would be. Sure I went slow, but that was mostly me trying to delay the inevitable of having to listen to the vampire say whatever it was she wanted to say. Each second that went by without me having her nagging me was a blessing.

I reached the table with the vampire and the woman named Yukari. The lady smiled cheerfully while the vampire looked at me with annoyance in her eyes. She is never happy with me and, quite frankly, I just don't give a damn.

"Sup? You need something?" I asked. _May as well get this done and over with so I can return to playing the role of a statue._

The vampire said nothing and just looked more angry with every passing second. What the hell did she want from me? Seriously, I wasn't even trying to make her upset. I swear the bitch was on her period.

The vampire turned her head to face Miss Yakumo. "He's still very much in his infancy, as you can plainly see," she said.

Miss Yakumo chuckled. "Indeed. But he's a joy to look at. Seeing a handsome fellow with your eyes is really something I never thought I would ever see again in my lifetime. I haven't seen a male vampire since… Well, you know when," she said then winked at the vampire before sipping from a wineglass. It was one of the drinks I was carrying, but I don't remember her taking one before, though.

"Enough about that. You wanted a closer look of him and now you have," the vampire said.

 _Can I go now?_

"Yes, but you still haven't told me your reasoning for embracing this poor boy. You never even hinted on the idea of turning someone into your kind. You do understand how shocked I am, do you not?" Miss Yakumo said.

"I am afraid I do not," the vampire went on. "I already told you that I simply felt like it. How hard is that for someone like you to understand?"

I wanted to call bullshit on that. I think she's just a heartless monster and even I didn't believe her. Not even for a second. She had a reason and I wanted to know what that reason was more than anyone currently in this room.

"Oh, my little Remilia," Miss Yakumo uttered soothingly.

 _Pfft! Little Remilia? Oh crap, am I grinning? Don't make it so obvious, dude!_

"I know you more than you'd like to admit. Why not just come out with it and tell me? I promise to keep it a secret."

"I gave you my reason. You may choose to accept it or not. I don't care," the vampire said with a haughty little huff, dismissing any more discussion on the topic.

Miss Yakumo pulled out what looked to be one of those Asian hand fans and used it to cool herself, hiding her expression behind it. She let out a little sigh as she shook her head slightly, expressing her discontent with the vampire.

I stood hoping to get some sort of cue from the vampire telling me that I could leave, but no such cue came.

"Honestly, I'm beginning to wonder why I bothered siring him in the first place. He's so bloody useless that I think I could have gotten more use out of a dead monkey more than him," the vampire complained.

 _Well, fuck you too…_ I fought against the muscles in my cheeks to keep them from showing how agitated I was with the wretched vampire's insult.

"Just getting him to show even the smallest amount of respect to his master's guests is like pulling teeth."

 _Yeah, yeah. Keep running your mouth, you blood-sucking tramp._

"I thought the fairies were the dumbest servants I have, but now this boy gets the crown."

 _I'm twice your size! I could pop you like the ladybug you are under my foot!_

A couple of the other guests came forward. Sakuya had just told me their names just a few minutes ago and I've already forgotten them. Whatever their names may be, it was the kid dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West and the other dressed as some pagan priestess type person.

The priestess had her arms folded across her chest, her expression firm and plain. "Are you going to introduce us to him anytime soon or are we supposed to just pretend he's not here?" she asked.

Before the stupid vampire could say anything, I turned quickly to face the girl and held out my free hand to her. But by doing so I accidently caused the wineglasses on the plate to tip over and spill. There was only two filled ones left, but it was enough to turn the plate into a pool of wine. Some of the red wine spilt off the side and landed on the floor, as well as the pagan girl's red shoes. She had jumped back a bit and avoided a greater mess.

"Ah, shit…" I muttered, clearly embarrassed with myself.

The vampire sighed in disgust. "Clumsy fool…"

"Eh, don't worry about it," the priestess said as she gave her soaked foot a short glance, shrugging it off like it was some common occurrence for her.

Sakuya carefully took the plate of spilt wine from me. "I will clean this up immediately, Milady," she said. I wanted to apologize, but I thought it best just to remain quiet.

"Ignoring that…" the Wicked Witch of the West said as she pushed herself to the front of me. She wore a friendly grin. "The name's Marisa! Marisa Kirisame!" She introduced herself jovially.

Her smile was contagious and I smiled in return without much thought. I held out my hand, which she happily took. "And I'm…"

My smile went as quickly as it came. I really did not want to go by the name that blasted vampire gave me, but my real name simply wasn't going to come back to me anytime soon so I had to go by some name. With that in mind, I swallowed my pride and spoke that detestable name I was given.

I forced my smile to return. "I'm Isaac. Nice meeting ya," I greeted.

The not-so-wicked witch girl, Marisa, shook my hand with astounding vigor. "Right back at'cha!"

The priestess girl walked up beside Marisa and bumped her away with her hip, causing the so-called witch to stumble off a little. "It's rude to cut in line," she said irritably to her blonde friend. Marisa stuck her tongue out at her and she responded with her sticking her own tongue out. I'm liking these kids already.

I held my hand out to the brown-haired girl. "Really sorry about the wine. Hope those aren't good shoes," I said. "I'm Isaac."

The priestess girl smiled brightly at me. I think I can safely assume she doesn't give a damn about her shoes. "I'm Reimu Hakurei. Happy to meet you," she said as she went to take my hand, but that damn vampire had to speak up and break the mood.

"He's already dirtied you enough by spilling wine all over you, Reimu, don't let him dirty you more by touching you with his greasy hands," the vampire said. She sprang up out of her seat and pushed herself between me and Reimu. She faced away from me and took Reimu's hands. "Try not to get too close to him. You might contract his idiocy if you do."

"Ahh, quit being such a sour puss!" Marisa said to the vampire.

If there is one thing that should be known about me it would have to be that I possess a short fuse. That short fuse had just burnt out and everyone in the room was about to see that. I made the effort to just let it go, honestly I did, but I had already let the vampire get away with far too many crimes as it was. Some payback was due and I was the one who was going to collect.

My eyes went to the bow that was tied right below her bat wings. That bow was her sash, the thing that was keeping her pink skirt on her waist – the _only_ thing keeping her pink skirt on her waist. I grabbed both ends of that ribbon and, with as much effort that would be required to lift a kitten, I undid the bow of her sash and down went her skirt. Several gasps from the guests were heard followed by a deafening silence that settled within the ballroom before the skirt even hit the floor.

The vampire was wearing a pair of black string-panties on that little tush of hers (a surprisingly shaped tush with a surprisingly shaped waist, if I may add). They held to her pale butt tightly. She even had one of those belts with straps that helped to keep her long, black stockings from sliding down off her slim legs. I wondered if by wearing a mature setup that it made her feel more mature to compensate her shortness. I wouldn't be surprised. I also wouldn't be surprised if I wasn't the only one in the room thinking that now that everyone was able to get a good look at what the upstart vampire was sporting.

Since I had pretty much condemned myself to death at this point, I figured why not go all the way and give that soft-looking butt of hers a good slap. So… I did. I brought my right hand back, took solid aim and let her fly. My hand flew forward then up diagonally, my palm smacking right against her behind. The sound that was created was loud and beautiful. It even echoed. Man, did it ever echo. The echo seemed to last for ages before finally going quiet.

The room remained quiet. At least partly quiet. I could hear a few snickering sounds from a few people. Reimu and Marisa were among them. They were desperately trying to hold in an outburst of laughter. They were sucking in their lips, snickering like mad. Apart from the silent hysterics, everyone waited for the vampire's reaction.

The vampire, after receiving that golden slap from me, was right up on her tippy toes. She was completely still – impressively so. As for myself, I just stood there staring at the back of her head while I waited to see what she would do. It was certain to be a violent reaction, but I was feeling too damn good to care.

After who knows how much time went by, her feet went flat on the floor and she slowly turned herself around to face me. Her facial expression was to be expected. It was as red as an apple. She wore a hellish sneer, her lips quivering as did the rest of her body. Her demonic eyes showed fire in them as she glared up at me. A tear was present, one in each eye. But those weren't tears of humiliation, just tears of pain from the hard smack I gave her. I'm sure it stung like hell even for a blood-sucking parasite.

I repaid that deathly stare of hers with a shining smile. "I never expected my master to have such a nice ass and waist on her. They really make up for the other parts that are lacking," I jested.

Both Reimu and Marisa lost hold of themselves and unleashed a wave of hysteric laughter. Miss vampire lady didn't seem to want to even smile. Such a party pooper she is.

I had to let her know that no amount of supernatural voodoo was going to make me bow before her. It may have not been the most mature way about going by it, but it got the point across quickly and effectively. She may have some control over me, but my pride as a free individual was something she'll never be able to break and I'm prepared for any consequences for my continued defiance. God forbid I give up my soul without a fight.

It was that second that it looked like she was about to explode in the rage that was clearly building up within her, but I didn't get to see any explosion of any kind. Instead, a hand was felt on my shoulder and suddenly the vampire was no longer in front of me. Hell, the ballroom and everyone in it was now gone.

Stunned, I looked around my new surroundings. "What the hell…?"

I was in a kitchen suddenly. Two seconds ago I was about to have my teeth put to the grindstone and now, with no warning whatsoever, I was in a kitchen. Whatever had just happened had happened before – that is, popping into another room out of the blue. Was I still insane, perhaps? Well, if smacking a vampire's ass in front of a bunch of people doesn't constitute as insane then I don't know what is. Not that it mattered at the moment because now instead of an angry vampire staring at me, I had an angry and befuddled maid staring at me.

"Uh… Sakuya? You okay?" I asked the gawking maid.

"Y-You…! You! What did you do?! Wha… Why?! WHY did you do that to our master?! Are you out of your newborn mind?!" Sakuya said disjointedly. "What possessed you to do such a thing?! Not even Miss Marisa would do such an incredibly stupid thing and she's my prime measurement for stupidity! Have you gone mad, Isaac?!"

"Umm…"

I didn't really have an explanation for Sakuya. The consequences for what I did never truly came into play until now. Not that I cared. What I did was immature, but revenge usually is. It sucks that Sakuya seems really upset with my actions. If I had to apologize to anyone it would be her. Not that monster.

"Killing you would be a kind punishment from Milady," Sakuya said.

"Look, Sakuya, I'm sorry I made you mad, but this dispute between me and that vampire is none of your business," I said.

"That vampire is your sire and OUR master! You embarrassed not just her but everyone who serves her!" she said in loud distress.

I had hurt more than just that vampire. That much was obvious now, but I'm not a good person and never was so saying I felt sorry would be a lie. With that said, I didn't intend on hurting anyone else other than the soul-stealing monster.

I sighed as I placed my hands on the disgruntled maid's shoulders. "I'm really sorry for upsetting you, alright? But I'm not sorry for that master of yours. I can't expect a normal person like you to understand my plight so I'd rather not argue about it."

Sakuya stared back at me for a few seconds, her tensed up face loosening up some with each second that went by. "I knew you were upset with Lady Remilia, but… I didn't think it was full-blown hatred," she said sadly.

"Hate is a strong word, but, yeah, that's exactly how I feel about her," I said honestly.

"I see…" Sakuya said. "If that is how you feel then I have no choice but to accept it. But If I may ask you to do one thing despite that hatred."

"What is it?"

"Be patient, and give her the chance to show you the kindness she has shown me," Sakuya said, her expression sincere.

I had no answer for Boss Maid. It wasn't a request I was anticipating at all. I didn't choose to hate the vampire. She chose for me. Everything she's done to me has pushed me to having these feelings and I'll continue to have those feelings for as long as she still holds the chains to my soul.

"It is not my place to say, but I sincerely doubt Milady wants her very first childe to hate her."

"If that's true then she has a funny way of showing it," I said bitterly, the horrid memories of being in her mouth and being chewed up flashing across my eyes.

"There is a method to her madness, Isaac. It may be hard to see, but it is there. You just need to try looking with your own eyes."

Sakuya's faith in her master was baffling. I really wish I could see the vampire through her eyes for just two seconds so I could see what it is she sees in that demon. Once again, I don't think Sakuya was being two-faced with me in anyway. It was just the way she spoke that made me believe in all of her words.

I let out another drawn out sigh. "Sakuya."

"Yes?" Sakuya answered.

"You're a kind soul. Let no one tell ya different," I urged.

Sakuya looked a little surprise with the compliment. "Hmm? Oh, I don't think so. I just don't think people should hate Milady without giving her a chance first. That is all."

"Sounds like a kind soul to me," I said with a smile and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "So! What do you think she's gonna do to me, hm?"

"Peel the skin off your face repeatedly until she gets bored," she said emotionlessly.

"Awesome…" I said dispiritedly.

"That's a little tame even for my little Remilia, don't you think?" said a voice that belonged to a third party.

Sakuya and I turned to where the voice came from, and what I saw spooked me to bits. It was that one lady with the golden eyes – Miss Yakumo (I had forgotten her first name), but half of her body was missing. At least, that is what it looked like at first glance. It was hard to describe, but it looked like she was leaning out of some strange hole, like a slit in space or something weird like it that hovered in the air. Eyes were peering out from the hole, causing me to leap into defensive mode. Those eyes felt wrong in every way imaginable. They didn't move, they didn't blink, but what they did do was pull at me with their otherworldly stare. I swear I could hear them whispering to me, each individual eye enticing me to step forward and join them in whatever nightmare dimension they called home. If anything, it was those accursed eyes that caused me to freak out.

In a state of panic that exploded within my heart and enthralled me in its entirety, I shoved Sakuya back away from the blonde alien and stood in front of her to act as her shield. On the nearby counter was a knife and I quickly grabbed it and pointed it at the woman. My entire body was so tensed up that it was painful to move, but the sudden and unexplainable fear I had for the eldritch woman numbed the pain.

"I-Isaac? What on Earth has gotten into you?" Sakuya asked me with concern in her voice.

The alien chuckled some. "I never grow tired of that reaction."

"You stay right where you are," I demanded of the alien.

"Isaac, that butter knife isn't going to help you in anyway now stop this nonsense," Sakuya said.

I hadn't even realized what kind of knife it was I had grabbed, not that I thought it was going to keep Sakuya and I safe from whatever it was sticking out of some other dimension.

It didn't take too long for my unfounded fear to quickly subside and I lowered my crude weapon. I handed the butter knife to Sakuya, pretended that my face wasn't as red as I thought it was from embarrassment and apologized to Miss Yakumo.

"Sorry, I just… got a little creeped out is all…" I said, avoiding eye contact with the woman.

I was living in a mansion with a vampire and fairies inside it. This woman cannot possibly be all that strange in comparison. At least that is what I wanted to think and I hoped I wouldn't be proven wrong.

"I apologize for his absurd reaction as well, Miss Yukari," Sakuya said with a polite bow.

 _Yukari was her name! God damn it, how do I keep forgetting these names?_

Miss Yakumo chuckled once more. "Oh, don't you worry about it. He reacted exactly as he should. I guess you can say that I was more pleased than bothered with his reaction," she said. "Though, it does make me a little sad that he refuses to look at me. Am I really such a scary girl?"

"Isaac!" Sakuya loudly whispered to me.

And my eyes went to Miss Yakumo's face. Now that I was given a closer look at her, I was able to confirm that she was indeed a gorgeous looking lady. Seeing her golden eyes up close also allowed me to visually see that the woman really wasn't human. As amazing as her eyes were, they were clearly not that of a human. They weren't demonic like that other thing's eyes, but they had more of an animalistic look to them. I'm not sure if that would be an accurate or even a non-insulting description of them, but it was the best way I could describe them. But in any case, I just stood there staring at them like a dummy.

The woman grinned – a rather frightening grin – and just stared back at me in return, her eyes seemingly gorging on me. Was she studying me? Any guess to what was going on behind those yellow eyes was as good as any. If anything, her gaze felt oppressing and I wasn't sure why. Sakuya did say she was a powerful individual so maybe that was what I was feeling? Maybe I was still reeling in from that sudden fright I experienced seconds ago. I don't know… I really don't know anything about anything anymore. Reality as I knew it had long since been destroyed by that vampire.

After a god awful long time of staring at me, the lady finally spoke. "Mm-hmm… My, you really are a refreshing treat. At first impression, I wouldn't have guessed you had the guts to do such a thing to your own master, but now that you did… I'm not sure what to think of you. Quite the enigma you are, young one," she said.

She fell back into that hole suddenly and the hole closed up. Immediately after, another hole split open and she popped back out again like a rabbit bursting from its den, closer to me this time. So close in fact that I could feel the air she gently exhaled while she glossed over me with her eyes. I wanted to take a step back, purely to make sure that I wouldn't accidently fall into that evil hole, but I stood my ground and allowed the woman to do her inspection or whatever it was she was doing.

Miss Yakumo would chuckle here and there during her little assessment of me. What in the Lord's name was she giggling about? Was I funny looking to her, maybe? I know the suit I was in made me look like a demonic clown, but her eyes never seemed to touch the suit. It then dawned on me that she was looking at where those vampire's eyes were. No, not the one's in her skull, but the other pair she had tucked into my skull without permission. I'm going to need to get a pair of contact-lenses to cover these blasted things up.

Miss Yakumo finished up her inspection and smiled modestly at me. "Do you know why my little vampire sired you, boy?" she asked.

"No, ma'am. And if you please, don't call me a boy. I admit I don't remember my age, but I know for certain I'm the age of a man," I calmly said.

The lady chuckled. "Oh, of course. Of course," she said, but the way she said it basically said she didn't consider me a man. I don't really care what she thinks, but it did bother me a little. I mean, I think I looked older than she was. "I overheard your little conversation with the Chief Maid. It would appear you aren't too fond of your master. Is this correct?"

 _You're telling me that my dumb stunt I pulled not too long ago wasn't a blatant indication?_

"Yes, ma'am," I answered.

"Then would you like to go home with me and be my pet? I can assure you that Ran and I would treat you with the most gentle of care," she offered with a suspicious-looking smirk.

No explanation to how insulted I was with the offer is needed, I don't think. I sneered slightly. "I'm no one's pet," I stated.

"Fu fuuu… You already show so much similarity with your master. So cute," she said. I went to object her statement about being similar with that short wench, but she suddenly leaped forward and wrapped her arms around my neck in an embrace. She then spoke into my ear in a whisper, her voice chilling me to my bones. "I am very interested in the kinds of things you would dare try to do to me in your defiance. Please don't make me only wonder of the possibilities."

Was this lady for real? I might have simply misunderstood her, but the way I heard it was that she wanted a rebellious servant. But… Why? Is she just a strange woman or what? Without thinking too much of it, I gently pushed the woman away from me to regain some of my space back.

"N-No, Miss. I may not be the most happiest person here, but I need to stay here for the time being."

And the lady frowned. She almost looked like a pouting teenage girl for a second there. "Oh, leaving me out in the cold are you? So mean… Buuut…" Her frown quickly reverted into a crown. "If you ever get bored of this mansion, please do feel free to visit me at my home, even if it is just a visit. I'll make sure you receive a… warm welcome."

The offer was a kind one, though I couldn't help but to be wary of her motives. I smiled for the lady. "Thank you, ma'am. I won't be a stranger."

Miss Yakumo smiled in return and nodded. "I think you will grow to like it here in our humble world of Gensokyo, fledgling. Make sure you keep an open mind at all times while venturing its lands. And, if you would be so kind, do take good care of that master of yours," she said then disappeared into the dimensional hole, only to pop right back out of another hole to the right of me. She pressed my nose like a button with her gloved finger. "Until we meet again, Isaac. Ta-ta!" With her farewell given, she vanished back into the hole in space, this time for good.

I looked to Sakuya, who merely looked back and shrugged her shoulders.

If today was of any indication to how things were going to be for me in this strange world called Gensokyo, then I could safely assume that it was going to be utter chaos trying to adapt to its mind-defying common sense. I had met a strange person by the name Yukari Yakumo and I had a feeling that the people of this world only get stranger from here on out. Sakuya, even though she says most of her actions are merely because of her job, has proven to be a good friend that has helped keep my brain from oozing out through my nose and I hoped to meet others like her. As for the vampire I loathe so much… I just don't see the two of us ever getting along. Ever…


	7. Chapter 6 Sunny Day

Another night at the mansion of little horrors went by without a hitch and I spent most of it at the bottom of a dried up well. Why did I spend the night at the bottom of a well? My harmless little love tap obviously did not go unpunished and the vampire decided some time in a well was the perfect punishment for the crime. Quite honestly, I expected much worse so I really couldn't complain. It was cold and lonely, sure, but it beat the hell out of spending five days somewhere in a closed off hole deep underground. She didn't say how long I had to stay in this well so this night could be the first of many nights to come with only the birds above as company.

The only thing that really bothered me about my current predicament was how I got here in the first place. I wasn't thrown in or anything. I simply appeared here out of nowhere after the vampire read off my sentence. These sudden teleportations into other rooms is beginning to piss me off. At first I thought it was just because I hadn't exactly been healthy in the head lately, but now I'm beginning to wonder.

So, I spent the night just sitting at the bottom of the well, contemplating how I was going to survive in the bizarre world I had been dragged into. No real answer came to me at any point during the night so I had to settle with trying to ride the wave and hope for the best. I understood that I was going to be stuck in the Devil's mansion for a while. If there was any fun to be had while being the bitch slave of some pompous little vampire then I was going to take it and just be happy with what I get. Dancing around that wench's whims was what was going to be the major obstacle for me.

At some point during the night I had dozed off. The morning light of the rising sun was what nudged me awake. Groaning irritably as my peaceful sleep came to an end, I took notice of the small amount of light on the ground then looked up. The sky was dark blue, but it slowly grew in brightness.

That is when it hit me – the sunlight. I was trapped in a hole outside with nowhere to run while the sun's murderous rays of light slowly grew in intensity. It didn't take long for me to stand up and start panicking.

Gazing at the sky, I tried to figure out how long it would take for the sun to come directly over the well and scorch my ass to cinders. I figured I had a few hours until it was close to noon. Now it was just a matter of figuring out how to get the hell out of this death trap within that time frame.

And the minutes came and went, slowly turning into hours. The amount of progress I made in escaping a sunny death? Zero. I had made no amount of progress whatsoever in all of that time. Needless to say, I was downright screwed. So, with sweat rolling off of me like a pig at a slaughterhouse while the sun crawled its way further into the sky, I made a last ditch effort to save myself and started screaming like a madman.

"Heeey! Hey, is anyone up there?! I'm in dire need of assistance, thank you very much!" I shouted towards the sky, hoping my voice would reach someone's ears. "Come on, someone's gotta be up there!"

No answer. I got no answer from anyone or anything. I wanted to think that the vampire wouldn't leave me out here until I was nothing more than a pile of ash even after what I did. If she really wanted me dead then she would have done it herself. I'm sure of that. She may have simply forgotten about me, but if that was the case then surely Sakuya would have came and bailed me out by now. Whatever the reason may be, I needed to continue yelling until I couldn't yell no more and that is what I did.

No one was coming and the sun was inching closer. My skin was actually beginning to burn at this point.

"Oh God, oh God…" I uttered in distress. "Shit! Shiiit!"

My life as some inhuman creature was about to be cut short by the very thing that gives the Earth life and I had that accursed vampire to thank. With my doom approaching with every passing second, I used the last moments of my second life to curse out the vile witch. I didn't get far in my mental fit of anger and rage before an angel appeared with some hope to gift me.

"Umm… A-Are you okay down there?!" came the voice of the angel.

I looked up to see someone peering over the well and down at me. Her face was shadowed over so I couldn't tell if it was anyone that I had seen before. Not that it mattered. All that mattered was that I had someone to get my sorry ass out of the well of doom.

Smiling graciously, I waved franticly at the girl. "Hey! I'm stuck down here and need help and fast! Please!" I shouted.

"Huh? You're stuck, you say?!" the girl asked.

 _Oh, for fuck's sake. Are you deaf, girl?_

"Yes! And I need to get out of here as quick as possible so if you can get me out, I will owe you big time!"

"You don't look stuck!" the apparently blind girl said.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I grumbled under my breath then yelled, "Yes! Yes, I am so if you would please just-!"

"Why don't you just climb out?!"

"What?! Are you being serious right now?!" I shouted, angered with the ridiculous suggestion.

But then it hit me. I was stronger than a normal human being due to some unholy blood that was providing me with this second life. It had completely slipped my mind. But that realization was only a temporary spark of hope. Giving the stone walls of the well a glance over showed that there wasn't anywhere I could get my fingers into to help me scale the blasted thing and the well was too wide for me to ascend it with my back to one side and feet pushing up against the other. I was just as screwed as I was a minute ago.

I look back up at the girl who was slowly proving to be worthless. "I can't scale the walls! I can't grip anywhere!"

"So?!" she tells me.

 _That's it. I'm dead._

"Just climb it like any other vampire would!" she shouted.

I didn't like being identified as one of those things my self-proclaimed master was a member of, but now was the time for me to start thinking like one if I wanted to save myself before becoming yesterday's ashtray.

I threw the laws of physics and a part of my sanity to the wind and placed the palms of my hands against the wall of the well. I had seen this done in a vampire movie before and figured since I was in a world where vampire dwarfs and ladies from outer dimensions existed then maybe… just maybe… I could climb this wall like Spiderman. It was utterly improbable, but given where I was, anything goes.

With both my hands on the wall, I raised my right foot and pushed the toe of my shoe against the wall, swallowed hard, then pushed myself up. I fell back down as expected, but I tried again, just to fail a second time.

I smacked my forehead against the wall and glared at my feet. "What possible outcome am I thinking I'll get from this?" I asked myself in bitter anger as hope waned.

"Clear your head! Don't even think about it!" the girl said.

What else could I do? Give in to my fate and die like a puss? Hell no!

I took a brief moment to try and clear my head of distractions the best I could and gave it another try. I got my foot pressed against the wall and pushed up. I fell forward onto my knees, thinking that I had fallen down again, but I didn't. I looked down and found the impossible.

I had gone up the wall a few inches. By some unexplainable force, I was able to hold my position without actually holding onto anything. It was as if I was merely crawling along the floor, except it was a vertical floor that I clinged to. I could still feel gravity as I normally did, but… it didn't seem to have any real effect on me at that moment. I wanted to find whoever wrote the rules for this world and punch his lights out, but for now I gave up on making sense of the world, said "Fuck it," and slowly made my way up the side of the well without looking back down. Not even a minute later and I was on my back spread-eagled in a bed of green grass, panting tiredly.

The girl that had helped me was standing over me, looking down at me with her aqua-colored eyes. Her long, reddish-brownish hair dangled on one side of her head. She was wearing what was something unmistakably Asian in design. The girl herself was oriental like Sakuya. Her uniform was mostly green with some white and the beret on her head was green as well with a star in the middle of it. That beret didn't stay on her head for long and it softly fell onto my face.

I sat up, the beret falling to my lap.

"Oops! Sorry about that," the girl said with a chuckle that made one's heart feel fuzzy.

I handed the beret back to its owner and went to stand up. A hand was suddenly presented to me. I smiled at the smiling girl and happily accepted the assistance. With an unexpected strong pull, she helped me back up onto my feet.

Still reeling in from the unbelievable feat I had just performed, I looked at the Asian girl, placed my hands on her shoulders, looked dead in her eyes and asked, "You saw what I just did, right?"

The girl tilted her head to the side a little. "Hmm? Well, of course I did," she replied.

"No. You didn't," I corrected her.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I… didn't?"

"You didn't," I repeated.

"I didn't see anything?"

"You saw nothing," I confirmed and released the girl's shoulders.

"Hmm…"

The girl was understandably confused and she took a moment to think about my intentions with having her forget that I had just spider-climbed out of the well. Her eyes widened when she came to some conclusion.

She gently tapped her fist onto the palm of her other hand. "Oh! I get it! You don't want Lady Remilia to know I helped you! You're so smart! Thank you for thinking about my well-being!" she said with a glowing smile and rosy cheeks.

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh? No, I just want the both of us to forget that ever happened. The fact that I just did that freaks me out."

"Huh? Really? Oh…" the girl said then frowned. Her frown made me sad.

"Wait. What about that vampire? What's it matter if she knew you helped me out?" I asked, curious.

"Well… I'm not supposed to help you at all. Lady Remilia has strongly forbidden me from interfering with your development. But I heard you yelling and got a little worried," she said.

A giant smile appeared on my face. Already I liked the girl. I took her hand and shook it fervently. "Thank you! I really appreciate your help. If you need anything from me just ask," I said.

"Y-You won't tell her?"

"Fuuuuck no!" I said in joy.

"But you're her servant. Aren't you supposed to-"

"No. I will not say a damn word to her about anything. Trust me on that," I strongly assured.

The girl smiled brightly again. "Thank you! I'm so happy to know that you're a kind person."

"Likewise!"

The night spent at the bottom of a well turned out not to be that bad. This Asian girl said something about development, so I think it's safe to say that the stupid vampire had thrown me down that well anticipating that I would figure out how to get out on my own eventually. Seriously, that vampire and her retarded development project can go straight to hell. If it wasn't for this nice girl I probably would not have figured out that I had more in common with Peter Parker than I had originally thought (none!) and would still be stuck down there dreading the incoming sun.

The incoming sun.

The sun.

The sun…

"THE SUN!" I screamed in abrupt panic.

I had totally forgotten the dangers of the sun and was now in full exposure of it. I had to get out of the light before my insides started to cook. There was a tree nearby with plenty of shade to offer me so I sprinted towards it like a stoner spotting a bar of chocolate and dove under the tree's protection. With my back pushed hard against the trunk of the tree, I felt relatively safe now.

"Wow!" the girl said in astonishment as she ran up to me. "That was out of the blue. What scared you to make you run like that? I sensed no danger of any kind."

This girl knew I could climb walls, but doesn't know what the sun will do to me… I don't know what I should say to that.

"The frikn' sun," I stressfully said, panting from the sudden sprint I just did. "I could feel my skin about to burst into flames there for a second…"

"Flames? Why would it do that?" the girl innocently asked.

"Uhh… Because the sun kills things like me?" I asked rhetorically.

"Huh? Since when?"

"Since when? Since the dawn of time. How the hell should I know?" I said sullenly.

It then hit me. In my biased view of vampires, I had assumed that they burned when exposed to the sun. That vampire left me in a well she knew would be exposed to the sun. She didn't express how long my sentence would be when she tossed me in that hole. She had left me there expecting me to figure out how to get out on my own and to learn that the sun… means jack squat to a vampire… I tested that theory by holding my arm out into the sun's rays. The rays were hot on my pale skin, but they didn't set my arm on fire. The worst thing the sun could do to me was give me skin cancer.

 _Son of an ass monkey…_

The heat rose in my face and I quickly covered it with my hands, unwilling to let anyone see how red my face just got upon the realization that I had gotten scared over nothing. And the worst part is that I'm willing to bet that the vampire knew all along that I had misinformation about vampires and the sun. I can already picture her laughing her little ass off right now…

"Umm... Are you okay?" the Asian girl asked in concern.

I let out a loud and angry sigh, uncovered my face and looked at the girl. "Can you go get me some rope?" I asked.

"What for?"

"So I can hang myself from this tree…" I said in utter disgust for myself.

The girl went sad. "Oh, please don't do that. I know you can't actually die from hanging, but it's the thought that's depressing," she said.

"I just feel really stupid right now."

"I have those moments too. After Sakuya or Lady Remilia scolds me, that is," the girl said in sympathy.

With what willpower I had, I pushed the humiliating event to the far reaches of my mind and focused on the girl in front of me. "Oh, that's right… You work here, don't ya?" I asked.

The girl smiled proudly. "That's right! My name is Hong Meiling! Protector of the Grand Gate of the Scarlet Devil Mansion!" she declared. "I also do the gardening!"

Her introduction was a bit over the top, but I liked it. Had a lot of energy to it, energy that slipped itself to me. I smiled in turn and held my hand out. "And I'm… Eh… Isaac…" I said, but not with the same amount of energy as the girl named Hong. Not even close.

Hong took my hand and we shook in greeting. "Hello, Isaac! I'm so happy I finally got to meet you!" she said in delight.

"Same here, Hong," I said with a happy nod.

"Oh! Call me, Meiling! I know we just met, but I want you to call me by my first name."

"What? I thought Hong was your first name," I said, confused.

"I know it's confusing, but Meiling is my first name. I'm a Chinese Youkai!"

"A Chinese… Youkai?"

I knew she was Asian. That was crystal clear, but I wouldn't have guessed that she wasn't human. She looked completely normal to me. But when I took a closer look at her eyes I could see some differences to that of a normal set of eyes. The difference in the pupil was mild, but it was there if you looked hard enough. I wasn't turned off by the fact she wasn't human or anything. I was merely surprised. Besides, she had just risked angering that demon to lend me a helping hand when I needed it. There was nothing frightening about this kind girl. In addition to that, she was a very cute girl with one hell of a rack on her. They were impossible to miss. Too bad her clothe were loose fitting so I couldn't see just how round they were.

"I had heard of the rumors last week, but I didn't believe them. I never believe what the fairies say and you shouldn't either. They're liars," Meiling informed me with a serious expression.

And I said, "Oookay."

"But when Sakuya came and told me about you… I STILL couldn't believe it. I mean, Lady Remilia would never sire anyone into her family. Ever. But here you are!"

I wasn't in the mood to talk about the vampire (I never am), but I went along with the conversation anyway. "Yeah… No clue what was going on inside the mind of that runt…"

"Sakuya couldn't get anything done the day after the Mistress brought you home. We spent hours debating why she suddenly decided to sire someone," Meiling said then giggled. "You should have seen Sakuya. I've never seen her so flustered before."

That would seem to be the big mystery here – why did that vampire turn me into one of her kind? Everyone else who knows her is apparently blown away by the notion that she had transformed somebody into a night stalker. It made me want to know her reasoning even more than before.

"May I ask you something?" Meiling asked, now looking a little flustered herself for some reason.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Umm… Did you really… Did you really pants Lady Remilia?" she asked.

I couldn't help but grin when the memory of my deed flowed by my eyes. "Heh-heh… Yeeeaah," I answered truthfully.

"And you… touched her butt?"

"Spanked it like you would a misbehaving child's," I said proudly.

"That's not right. You shouldn't have done that," the girl said with a grumpy expression, but she was biting her lips together as she held back something.

"Heh. That vampire ain't out here so let it out," I said.

And Meiling did just that. She hunched over and a burst of laughter came flying out of her. She laughed herself silly for a moment before standing back up straight, now with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, that's not funny. I shouldn't be laughing," she said as she wiped a few tears from her eyes and with a few stray laughs escaping from her periodically.

"Eh, don't worry about it," I said plainly.

"No!" Meiling said as she tossed on a serious expression. She pointed at me. "What you did was wrong. Plain wrong. Bad! Bad Isaac!" she scolded me.

The scolding didn't work. The way she truly felt about what I did couldn't be hidden behind that glowing face of hers. I simply smiled. "My only regret is that I didn't get a nice firm squeeze of that booty of hers," I said then acted it out, pretending to grab a hold of the vampire's rear in cartoonish fashion.

Meiling burst out laughing once again. Her laugh brought light to my dark world. "No, no! Don't do that! I don't think she would be able to keep her cool if you did!"

"Nah, don't worry. I got my feel for a vampire's behind so I'm good for a lifetime. I don't plan on doing anything else like that. I think I was lucky getting away with it the first time and I don't feel like doubling down."

Meiling giggled. "You have no idea how lucky!"

We continued conversing with one another as she showed me around the perimeter of the mansion (the sun turned out to be nothing more than a small burden on me and an annoying one at that). I have to say that it was gorgeously maintained. Meiling did say she was a gardener so I contributed the beauty of the surrounding courtyard to her fine care. I also got to see the mansion from the outside for the very first time. It was an incredible piece of work. Looked like some kind of medieval castle just like the inside. It even had a wall of red brick circling it. I wasn't taken outside the walls, but Meiling did show me the so-called grand gate she stood guard of. It wasn't exactly _grand_. At least I didn't think so. It was a fancy looking gate of metal, but that was it.

Looking through the metal bars of the gate showed me a landscape of lively green and further out there was the rest of Gensokyo. The world was oddly dim despite the sun being high in the sky, but that dimness only added to the mysticism of the land.

I was still unsure how I was going to survive this world, but that didn't concern me this day. I had made a new friend and hoped it was a sign for more good things to come.


	8. Chapter 7 Closer Union

Days went by after discovering my spidery powers of wall climbing and meeting Meiling the Gate Keeper. Not much happened in between then and now and thank God for that. The vampire said nothing about me escaping from the well and has pretty much just been ignoring me and it was glorious. Being free from her agonizing nagging was a godsend and I milked every minute that went by without her bossing me around. At least I tried to. Instead of the vampire to be the pain in my rear, I had Sakuya to take her place for her.

It sucked that I didn't get away with not having to do anything, but it wasn't a disaster or anything. Oh, wait! It totally was!

During the past couple of days, Sakuya was ordered by the vampire to teach me how to clean, wash, and basically be the one thing I could never be in my life – a butler. Despite my deep resentment to the idea of being the nightbeetle's servant, I gave the basic things like cleaning and such a try with honest effort given. And it was a disaster for the ages, the biggest disaster being the incident with the windows. There were hardly any windows in the mansion to begin with and I managed to outright destroy three of them while trying to clean them. How? No clue. Either the windows were paper thin or I didn't really understand my unnatural strength. Personally, I think it was a little of both. Either way, Sakuya flipped out and scolded me worse than any woman has in my life and told me to get lost while she took care of my mess. Later she had calmed down and gave me another chance, only to yell at me again when I broke a fourth window.

So, now I managed to get the rest of the day to myself by, apparently, sheer incompetence on my part. I wasn't too upset about it, but I did feel sorry for giving Sakuya more work. Then again, she always looked like she was in her own happy little world when cleaning by herself so maybe things worked out well for the both of us.

With nothing to do, I decided to just stroll around the mansion until doomsday came along. Going outside to see Meiling was a no-go. I can only take so much sunlight shining directly down on me before wanting a bullet to the head. And I didn't want to bother her while she was working anyways. My first impression of her was that she was a dedicated type and I definitely didn't want to get in the way of that.

And wouldn't you know it? My aimless wandering around the mansion proved to be a huge mistake. Despite the stupid size of the place, I had managed to run into the single person in the world I did not want to see – that vampire, Remilia.

I had just turned the corner down the seventh hallway I had come to and there she was in the undead flesh. She was strolling down the hallway towards me, hands in front of her chest like a proper noble or whatever the hell she considered herself to be. Her strides were smooth, each step being neither too small nor too big. It almost looked like she was gliding over the floor in her movements.

She spotted me and smirked with who-knows-what going through her arrogant little mind. With no interest in getting any closer to the vampire, I did the sensible thing and turned my ass around and headed back from which I came.

 _I think I'll just go back to my room. That should waste a few hours trying to get back to it._

I made my way down the hallway with my room set as my destination. During all my wandering around the mansion, I had noticed that the inside of it was strangely larger than it appeared from the outside. It made for great exercise going to and fro one place to the next, but it was starting to get old real fast. If I could get myself another motorcycle (rest in peace, my baby!), I could turn this entire place into my playground. But that was just wishful thinking on my part. A pet dream, even.

I took a right down the next hallway then immediately spotted the same vampire I was trying to get away from. Again she was walking down the hallway wearing that same snarky grin she had just a minute ago.

Baffled with her sudden appearance, I stopped where I was. "What the hell…?" I muttered then did a one-eighty and backtracked again.

 _Must have gotten around a shorter route or something…_

Making my way back the other way, I took a left only to see the blasted girl walking down the hallway again, cocky grin and all. I clenched my fist, knowing full well that she was loving the stupid little game she was playing with me. Whatever voodoo it was that she was using wasn't tickling my fancy one bit.

I turned around once more and ran until I spotted a room sitting off to the side on its own. I grabbed the doorknob to the room and opened it to find that it was one of the custodial rooms the fairy maids use. It was stuffed with all sorts of cleaning supplies, leaving not much room for an individual, but that didn't stop me from stuffing myself inside and slamming the door shut and leaving myself in darkness.

"I'll stay in here the rest of my life if I have to… Damn girl…" I grumbled.

" _I'm beginning to think that you're trying to avoid me, my childe,"_ said the vampire, her voice seemingly resonating from both the darkness of the closet and from the far corners of my mind.

I tensed up in fright from hearing the vampire's strangely ethereal voice. Obviously she wasn't in the same room as me, but it sounded as if she had spoken directly into both my ears at the same time. Her words were crystal clear in my head. I made the educated guess that she was using more witchcraft on me so I just kept my mouth shut and hoped that she would simply go away and leave me be.

" _Giving your master the silent treatment now, are you? Well, that's fine, but eventually you're going to have to come to terms with your position in this mansion whether you like it or not,"_ the vampire said, her voice echoing persistently in my head.

I remained silent, pretending like I couldn't hear her. She said nothing more for a moment, but eventually spoke again.

" _Hey…"_ she said, her voice suddenly loosing that pristine arrogance it normally had. " _Hey, you can hear me… right? This is working as it should, right? You can hear me?"_

I bit my lips as I started to snicker. The self-confidence the vampire possessed seemed to only go so deep. From what the vampire said herself, I'm the first person she's sired so I guess that she wasn't exactly an expert at the whole sire thing. Again, that was just a guess, but that guess is slowly looking to be a correct guess.

" _Oh, come on! Say something!"_ the vampire shouted, her dignified demeanor casted off in favor of the spoiled brat she truly was. " _I swear, if you hear me and are just ignoring me then I will dip you in pigs' blood and leave you to the wolves! Trying to make your master think she's talking to herself is a grave insult! I'm warning you!"_

I could keep this up all day. It was unexpected, but this little bit of payback worked for me. Though hearing her disembodied voice inside my head was beginning to give me a headache, I didn't expect her to continue trying to talk to me for much longer. Surely, she would give up eventually. Hell, maybe if I never answer her telepathic babbling then she would give up, thinking she wasn't able to talk to me. One can only be so lucky.

Then I felt it, the sudden presence of another creature within the dark room with me. My body tensed up and I heard the demon speak, her cold breath hitting the back of my neck and making the hairs stand up on end.

"Coming out of the closet is always the hardest part, my pet. But I assure you I can give you far harder challenges if you so choose," she said in a chilling, dark voice.

"Ah!" I cried out in a burst of fright.

In my state of panic, I crashed through the closed door in a bid to get away from the vampire. I broke the door off its hinges, sending it flying into a wall. I slipped as I scurried out of the room, nearly falling before regaining balance. I whipped around and faced the closet to see the vampire casually stepping out of it.

Her eyes went to the closet door that now lay demolished at her feet. The closed demon wings behind her twitched and her lips quivered before she drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment. "Damaging your master's mansion…" she said as she exhaled, clearly annoyed with what I did.

My heart was still beating like mad in my chest from the fright she gave me. "Well, stop pulling that creepy vampire shit on me then," I suggested earnestly. "I'm constantly on edge in this insane asylum as it is and you're trying to talk to me with your vampiric joogaloo." I lifted up my arms. "Look at me. I'm sweating like a druggie whose car is being searched. There's dark patches under my armpits. You can start calling me the damned Water Boy with all the liquid pumping outa' me," I said as I let my arms fall back down.

Going by the way the vampire was glaring at me, you would have sworn that I had just called her mother a whore. She took in another deep breath and exhaled as if she was trying not to blow a fuse or something. What in the Lord's name was her problem this time?

The vampire placed her hands on her hips and she took a couple steps closer to me. She was trying to frighten me again, but I stood my ground. "The fact that I have yet to turn your ribcage into a xylophone after all your repeated insults speaks volumes to the amount of tolerance I have for you as a fledgling," the crabby vampire said.

Was simply breathing the only thing I needed to do in order to get this girl's period going? I wasn't even trying to antagonize her, yet I was apparently doing a flawless job at it.

"You seem to have forgotten, if the stupid look on your face is of any indication," she said then cleared her throat in preparation to lecture my ears off. "You purposely tried to avoid your master and ignore her calls to you… I wish I could say that was your most serious crime."

"I'm sure…" I said with a tired sigh.

"You tried to go back on your word to serve me for eternity," she continued, her voice getting louder and harsher with each word. "I would have even settled with that being your worst offense."

"That so-called _deal_ should be voided since I was half-dead," I uttered under my breath.

"But even after all those insults, you still had the gull to sexually assault me! And in front of my guests, if I may add!" she yelled, making me cringe.

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen. That was nothing more than a love tap," I retorted with lighthearted intentions.

My little retort did not fly with the vampire. She showed how she felt about it by searing my heart with her demonic influence. The pain became unbearable the instant her eyes started to glow. My entire body locked up under the scorching pain and I fell to my knees. I clenched at my chest as I gasped for air while the pain sucked it away like any inferno would. The tyrant left me to miserably groan at her feet for a time.

"Is violence the only thing you will answer to? Because I can do violence. Oh, I can do violence real good," she said in vindictive humor.

My forehead was pressed hard against the cold marble floor, my chest feeling seconds away from exploding apart. "St-Stop! Cut it out, already!" I shouted, my voice coming out strained and miserable.

And the pain stopped while leaving traces of it lingering. I took a minute to catch my breath before getting back up on my feet. The pain had hurt something fierce, but all it managed to do was fan the burning resentment I had for the vampire. She could torture me all she wanted, but she wasn't going to get me to agree to be her slave.

We both stood there in the hallway, her crimson eyes on mine and mine on hers. How long we just stood there staring at each other with contempt for one another could be anyone's guess. I think it had turned into a staring contest at some point – a contest to see who would yield first – but the wretched vampire pulled her bullshit mind trick on me. I had forgotten that utterly unfair tactic of hers.

"Take a seat. Seiza-style. Now," she commanded me.

Her command was a resounding chime in my mind and that oppressive feeling came over me like a sudden downpour. Even the scornful glare I was maintaining on her vanished without a trace with the turmoil that enthralled me from within. I was so caught up in that inner turmoil that I didn't even realize that I had carried out the vampire's order. Just as she commanded me, I was now kneeling down on the floor with my legs folded underneath me, knees together and my hands resting on my lap. I was sitting in some stupid Asian way of sitting. It was uncomfortable to the highest degree. At this point, all the vampire would have to do was tell me to put my hands behind my head and I'd be a regular prisoner of war. I couldn't even look up at the vampire I felt so defeated. So I just stared at her feet, grinding my teeth away in complete powerlessness.

"Look at me, Isaac," the vampire commanded, her voice having lost its previous callousness. It was more settled. Quiet, even.

I did as I was told and looked up at the girl standing before me. She placed her hands gently on my face, one on either side, and glided the tips of her fingers about my cheeks playfully. Her face wasn't as heated as it was a moment ago either. It matched the sudden aura around her that encased me – a serene sternness.

The vampire's command got my focus to her, but her crimson eyes were what made my focus stay. They were like a vast sea of blooming blood when you looked deep enough into them. Beautiful… Mysteriously beautiful… How can someone look so incredible?

"I said it once. I will say it again… The blood in our hearts binds us together. It is a bond that cannot be easily broken once established. That is the truth. Can you bring yourself to accept that as the truth?"

A troubled sigh escaped from me. "It's the way that _bond_ was established," I began, that night playing over in my head a few times, each time more infuriating than the last. "I was dying… You came along to ask the most absurd question anyone could ever ask a dying man… And I answered you. I just wanted to make you smile and now I'm paying for it… It's just not fair."

"Was it supposed to be fair?" she asked. A very strange thing to ask, I think. "Since when has fate ever been fair, hm? Could you tell me that, Isaac?"

"Well- I…" I sighed when I lost the words to respond with. After a few breaths, I started again. "There's, like, seven billion people on the planet. At least half of them would kill their entire families to have what you gave me," I stated stressfully. "You could have asked any of them and gotten someone much more willing than me to be your slave."

"Well, I didn't ask them, now did I? I asked you."

"Why the hell me?!" I exclaimed angrily. "Didn't you do your research before picking me out of the crowd? I was a…" I sighed again when the only real memory of the kind of person I was manifested perfectly in my mind. "I was a drunk with only a motorcycle to his name and no ambition…" I spoke the truth and that truth was a needle straight through my heart.

The vampire giggled and, damn it all, it nearly made me smile. I fought against the smile and just barely won against it.

"You're getting flustered over a life that no longer matters," she said. When my eyes fell from hers, she slightly jerked my head, getting my eyes back on her. Her expression became serious all of a sudden. "There is something that needs to be made clear so listen well…" She leaned forward a little, the distance between her face and mine shrinking in the process. I shivered a little when her cold breath touched my lips. "That night, when I sired a newborn vampire, a man died and another man was born. You are the man that was born. Not the other way around. Do you understand?"

All I could do was shrug my shoulders. I didn't understand. Not really, at least. And I think she could easily tell that I didn't.

The vampire smiled at me and stood up straight, giving me my personal space back. "You will in due time. I did not expect your development to go without difficulty," she said. Suddenly, she was looking at me with a condemning glare. "Of course, you've been doing your damnedest to make it as difficult as you possibly can."

And I kind of just sunk my head in between my shoulders because I couldn't really defend myself against that accusation because, well, she was right. But if she would just tell me why she chose me out of so many more serviceable options then maybe – and I emphasize the word maybe – we could work something out between us. If anything, I just want to understand her motives better. It might not be so difficult to work for (working instead of serving just sounds better) an undead being if I saw her less of an undead being. I don't know… I'm just trying my best to be reasonable at this point.

"You still hadn't answered my question," I confronted her. "Why did you-"

"Because I felt like it," she plainly said. "There. You have your reason."

She gave me a reason, but it wasn't a sensible one at all and I opened my mouth to interject her preposterous answer, only for her to continue speaking before I could get a word out.

"If that reason is not good enough for you then make it good enough because it is going to be the main motive behind many of my actions and desires," she said. She spoke clearly and with a heavy assertiveness in her stance.

I was utterly astonished with her ruthless statement. "You cannot honestly expect me to believe that a fuzzy little feeling you got when you saw me dying alone in a forest was all that made you want to turn me!" I said, voice raised and angry.

But the vampire merely raised her voice higher. "I expect you to carry out my commands regardless of the reasons behind those commands! Do you understand?!" she shouted, her voice ringing painfully in my ears.

There was no winning against her. Not right now, at least. Once I uncringed, I answered back reluctantly. "Yes… Yes, I do."

"Yes…what?" she asked and waited impatiently for an answer.

I sighed quietly and fixed my answer. "Yes, ma'am."

It didn't look like the vampire was going to take that answer either, but after a quick thought and a haughty huff, she went with it. "It's a start…" she said, sounding slightly unsure. She turned her back to me. "You will return to Sakuya and continue your training and you will put in the effort to learn your new duties," she said sternly. She turned her head, looking over her shoulder at me. "You will put in the effort… Won't you?"

Feeling indifferent but not completely against her demand, I nodded. "I will try, but I still don't know what you expect from me. I mean… A butler? Seriously?" I said. I still sort of felt like the whole me becoming a butler thing was just some cruel joke. It was cliché and stupid, if you wanted my honest opinion. "Damn it, vampire, I'm a mechanic, not a butler," I jested in an attempt to unsour my mood.

"I expect progress in your training," the vampire said as she returned her sights ahead of her. "Show me progress and I'll reward you for your efforts. Some of those rewards could be answers to whatever questions that linger in that little head of yours, if you so choose."

It was a reasonable offer, I'll admit. Continuously bonking heads with this girl wasn't going to get me anywhere anyways. So, despite a good amount of averseness still built up, I'll accept my post here in the mansion as the vampire's servant. Though, I wasn't too keen on her idea of _training_. Even if it did lead me to knowledge of my powers, I would rather avoid being locked up again if I can help it. That thought led to another question.

"Why don't you just tell me the things I can do instead of throwing me in a hole to wait and see if I figure things out myself?"

"Because you don't listen," she harshly stated. I kept my mouth closed to that one. There was simply no denying the accusation.

She started to walk off just when I remembered something. "Wait!" I called to her and she stopped and waited for me to continue without turning to face me. "Um… Is there any chance I could get my wallet back? It's the only thing I own here and it would just help with the morale thing if I had it back," I asked as politely as I was able. It was hoping for a bit much from her after my past transactions, but I wanted to at least try to ask. I really wanted my wallet back.

The vampire gave me an answer, but not before sighing. It sounded like she was disappointed with my simple request. No clue as to why. "That wallet does not belong to you. It belongs to someone who has passed on. The sooner you realize that, the better off you will be," she said softly and, just like that, she headed off to wherever her whims take her.

 _Remilia Scarlet… What's going on in that mind of yours, hm?_

I remained in that uncomfortable sitting position until the vampire left my sights. Once she was gone, I fell backwards onto my ass. "Oh, baby Jesus…"

That talk with the vampire was beyond exhausting, but it was… productive. Way more productive than our other encounters, at the very least. I was still having a hard time fathoming it all. This mansion, the things within it, Remilia Scarlet the Vampire… All of that was still so unreal to me. My mind was in a constant state of being blown, and I didn't know if I could handle it all. But what else could I do? Leave? The vampire scared me enough. I couldn't imagine what I'd find if I walked out those gates that Meiling stands guard of. Would I find something stranger than that weird blonde lady of another dimension? God, I hope not. My screwed up mind can only take so much insanity.

I took in one big breath and exhaled it through my lips, making them vibrate. "Oh, Jesus… How in the world am I gonna make it through this?"

"You'll do fine," said a sudden, soft voice.

My heart jumped from its current position right into my throat, forcing me to jump into the air with it and onto my feet. I quickly turned to see it was only Sakuya.

"Good Lord, Sakuya, don't do that," I said with a smile. I pounded my chest softly to get my racing heart to slow back down.

She smiled back. "I take it I scared you?"

"You kidding? My heart was already halfway down the hallway. Didn't you see it?" I joked.

I got a little chuckle out of her. "No, but I did see you come to some terms with our Mistress," she said.

"Now don't go jumping to conclusions now," I warned. "I'm just gonna go with the flow of things. That's all."

Seemingly satisfied with that conclusion, Sakuya nodded once at me and said "Then I'll leave it at that."

We headed off to another part of the mansion to continue on with my _training_. How everything was going to turn out was still high up there. I just hoped I could keep it together while living in the house of the Scarlet Devil.


	9. Chapter 8 Chaotic Meeting

Sakuya was not about to leave me near any windows after the ones I ended up shattering. I was hoping that meant that I wouldn't get stuck with cleaning duties, but that's exactly what I ended up doing. A mop and a bucket were tossed in my hands and an entire section of the mansion was given all to me to mop. Every single hallway was to be sparkling by the time the sun came up. That was a lot of time to get the job done. Though, I thought.

Mopping had gotten so dull that I was already on the verge of sticking my head in the bucket and drowning myself by the time I had the first hallway cleaned. It was only made worse when Sakuya stopped by to see how I was doing just to tell me that it wasn't a good enough job and demanding that I mop it all over again. Seriously? What else was there to do? You put the mop in the bucket, get it soaked in the soapy water, take it out and start sweeping. Somehow, I managed to fuck up even that simple task. So with my teeth gritted, I merely answered the Chief Maid with a hardy "Yes, ma'am," and got to mopping all over again. That hallway quickly became my enemy.

The amount of time that I worked on that single hallway? No clue. It was early in the morning by the time Sakuya finally felt that the hallway was clean enough. I didn't like the idea of working all night because now I wanted to sleep and the day was just getting started. I was told to go to bed, but I wanted to get some fresh air instead before the sun got too high in the sky and that's what I did.

I sat on the large stoop right outside the mansion's front doors just wishing for a cigarette to pop into existence in between my lips. God knows I wouldn't last another day without some nicotine in my system. That's when I began to wonder where the nearest seven eleven was to the vampire's villa. With that in mind, I figured I would go and have a chat with Meiling the Gate Guard. I hardly ever see her since she's outside and I'm stuck inside. With the Gate Guard in mind, I stood up and walked down the stone pathway through the courtyard towards the front gate.

When I got to the gate, I peeked through it in my search for Meiling. I did not see her. No one was on the other side of the gate. Of course there wasn't. That's just my luck. I figured maybe she wasn't on duty yet, so I decided to see if I could find Sakuya instead in that labyrinth I'm forced to call home.

As I walked down the stone path back to the front doors, I looked up at one of the few windows (one that I hadn't broken) on the second floor and spotted a figure looking out from inside. I got closer to the building and I was able to make out who the figure was. It was exactly who I didn't want to see before bed. I'll give you two guesses on who it was, but you're only going to need one.

It was that little vampire, Remilia. I reckoned she would be sleeping in her coffin by this time, but nope. She was looking down at me, judging me with those devilish eyes of hers. Hopefully I wouldn't bump into her before I made it to my bedroom. I was just too tired to deal with any complaints she had. Let's be honest, I could be at one hundred percent and still be too tired to deal with her. Our agreement had not made it any easier for me to be her servant. She's just that much of a hassle to deal with. There was still plenty of disagreement between the two of us. One being that she insisted that I call her _master_. That wasn't going to happen. I agreed to be her servant and that was it. I'm never going to recognize her as my master. I haven't even fully recognized what I was. I wasn't human, yes, but I… Just thinking about it left me dizzy.

The vampire, unexpectedly, gave me a friendly wave and it was then that I realized something completely off about her. What was it, you ask? Well, for starters… it wasn't the vampire. It was actually someone else. I got closer to the window and squinted my eyes as I tried to figure out who it was in the window. I honestly thought it was the vampire. I mean, the girl was the same height and had a set of wings just like her. But her wings… weren't wings at all. Or were they? The person's figure was darkened by the dark background behind her so it was hard to make out, but it looked like she had twigs sticking out from her back with glowing things dangling from them. I was too far down to be able to make an accurate description of them.

The person in the window pressed their face up closer to the window and I was then able to see a pair of glowing red eyes. They were unmistakably like the vampire's. Even from this distance, those eyes stood out like a sore thumb. But unlike the vampire, this person, this girl, had blonde hair. I was almost sure it was blonde. Was she another worker at the mansion? I don't remember seeing any other workers other than the fairies, Sakuya and Meiling.

The blonde girl in the window waved at me again and I waved back this time. Her lips then moved. She was saying something. I'm no good at reading lips, but I made the educated guess that she had said "Hello".

"Hello to you too!" I replied back with the shout of my voice. "Come down here so we can talk better!"

I'll admit it. It probably wasn't a good idea to try and meet this person. I mean, I have no idea as to what she could be. I hoped she was just a normal human being, but those eyes instantly threw that possibility out the window. So why was I asking her to come down? Simple curiosity. That's it. If she's anything like the nonhuman Meiling then I would be glad to meet her. But if she was the opposite then… Well, let's just hope for the best, shall we?

The girl shook her head in rejection to my offer. She curled her finger in a slow, inviting motion. Instead of her coming down here, she wanted me to come up there. Not exactly a problem, but I'm calling it now; I'm never going to find the room she's in. I can barely find the main staircase as it was and she wants me to find some random room I've never been to? Knowing its position from the outside didn't help any. With that said, I was going to try anyways.

I accepted her invite with a nod and ran back inside. My first destination was the second floor and my first act of finding the blonde girl was by searching the rooms closest to the front courtyard. Should only be a matter of time until I found the one she was in if I did that.

There were a lot of rooms to check, but, one by one, I checked every single last one of them. Unfortunately, every single one was devoid of life or otherwise. Just a bunch of unused bedrooms. Not a single girl with blonde hair and odd wings was found. Quite frankly, I was bitterly disappointed. The longer I went without knowing who that girl was the more determined I became to find her. The whole search felt like a dare in a way and that was what was motivating me alongside the curiosity. Stupid reasons to risk poking around a bear's den in search of someone who could turn out to be that bear, but I've done stupider things.

All the other rooms on the second floor of the west wing became the next targets of my search. Again, I came up with nothing. It was getting frustrating real quick. I couldn't possibly search the entire mansion, but I was, stubbornly, about to try. The third floor of the west wing was my next destination. Just a quick look around and then maybe I'd give up. I headed for the stairs leading to the next floor.

Just before I got to the flight of stairs, I heard the soft giggling of a girl and the sound of footsteps scampering up the stairs right above me. I quickly hurried to and up the stairs and to the third floor. Once I made it to the third floor, I glanced down the length of the hallway and spotted a figure darting around the corner. I caught a glimpse of blonde hair and that was my cue to give chase.

I sprinted all the way down the hallway and came to another one. Halfway down the second hallway was the blonde girl. I could hear her still giggling as she dashed on forward. Was she playing around? It seemed like it and I found it harmlessly cute. I went along with the strange girl's game and chased after her.

"You make everyone work this hard just to be able to talk to you?!" I called out to her amiably. She glanced over her shoulder, showing me a mischievous little grin that taunted me.

The end of the hall emptied into the center of another hallway running perpendicular to it. She would either go left or right and, if I remembered this area correctly, both directions led to a dead end. Our little game of tag was going to end in just a second. At least it would have if not for her impossible feat.

The sight stopped me in my tracts and left me staring stupidly and my jaw dangling. Now, it could have been simply because I hadn't been to bed in almost twenty four hours, but I kid you not that the girl, once she made it to the end of the hallway, had suddenly split into two separate girls who both then took off running down the next hallway in opposite directions, giggling all the way without a care in the world. I felt like something needed to be said, but the words were lost upon me and I just stood there in a quiet stupor.

Finally, the words came to me. "What fuckery is this…?" I asked.

Cautiously, I peered down both ends of the hallway in search of the blondes. I saw nothing. She (or they; I really don't know anymore) must have dodged into one of the rooms lining the hallway. But after the spectacle I had witnessed, did I really want to go looking for her? Well, I had come this far so with a heavy gulp, I picked a door and slowly opened it. The first choice proved to be the winner.

I poked my head into the room with a wary "Hello?" only to be greeted with a smack to the face. Nothing but white blanketed my vision as the force of the blow knocked me right off my feet, sending me to my back. The back of my head bounced off the marble floor. A few angry curse words would have flown out of my mouth at that moment had it not been for a sudden weight landing on my chest and knocking the wind out of me. Once my vision was done spinning, I found the blonde girl sitting on my chest.

"Gotcha'!" proclaimed the blonde. She was wearing a grin like she had finally captured her prey after stalking it for so long.

If I didn't know any better, I would say that stupid vampire had gone and dyed her hair blonde. The face of the girl sitting on top of me and the face of the one who had brought me into this messed up world were practically the same. The blonde's eyes were just like hers, save for a tint of sunset-orange swirling inside them. And she had fangs… Fangs of a vampire, no less. Slowly but surely, I was beginning to regret my decision to meet this individual. If this girl wasn't a vampire then I'd eat my fist.

The only thing about this second vampire that really stood out from the first vampire other than her blond hair was her wings. Could I even call them wings? They looked like tree branches that had sprouted out of her lower back. What I could only describe as gems was dangling from each wing. The gems were of a multitude of radiant colors. Weirdly enough, they sort of reminded me of Christmas ornaments. I felt the urge to start singing 'Deck the Halls'.

"Holy mother of God…" I gasped in fright of the two long fangs dipping down from the girl's sly smile.

The girl rested her chin in the palms of her hands, her cheeks rising higher and making her smile just a little wider and more chilling in appearance. "Not quite," she replied.

The girl was in a getup that was somewhat similar in style to the one the blue-haired vampire wears. She wore a cap on her head just like her, except this cap was red with a white brim and a pink bow tied around it. From underneath that cap was a ponytail that hung to her left. On her torso was a red vest over a pink shirt and on her waist was a large pink ribbon that held up her red skirt that nearly reached her knees. A white thigh-high was on each of her legs and those legs were placed on either side of my head, leaving what was under her skirt in plain view – a pair of snow-white panties. Ladies and gentlemen, I now had a vampire's who-ha-ha right in my face.

I wasn't kidding. Her crotch was literally right there! Her butt sat firmly in place on the center of my chest with a leg rested on either side of my head, opening up the perfect window right up her skirt. Those pair of snow-white lingerie was the only thing keeping me from seeing that beautiful part of the female body. The only way not to see it was by closing one's eyes and who would be that boring?

An ominous silence fell between the girl sitting inappropriately on my chest and myself. All the girl did was sit there and stare at me without another word. I tried to remain patient and wait for her to say something, but I was slowly losing my nerve. The girl was clearly a vampire and I wanted nothing to do with her. All I could think about was getting away from her and finding Sakuya so I could call her a bloody liar. She told me that the owner of the mansion was the only vampire. Unless I had misunderstood her?

The only sounds being made were the constant beats of my heart and the girl's soft humming. Her eyes were burning a hole into my brain. Eventually, I got fed up with her silence and said something to get a conversation going that would hopefully lead to her getting off of me so I could get back to my room.

"Uh, hello… Mind getting off me? Please and thank you?"

No response. She just kept gazing down at me. The nervousness of being stared at was quickly becoming a problem for me. Her beaming, oppressive gaze was hard to endure. I ended up looking away from her eyes. Instead, I looked right in front of me at that rather fantastic sight. I was kind of reluctant to tell the blonde vampire that I could see her crotch clear as day. I wasn't sure if it would set her off or not. But if bringing it to her attention would get her off of me then I may as well risk it.

I focused my eyes back on the white face of the strange girl. "Miss? Not to be rude, but I can sorta' see up your skirt," I kindly informed her.

You would think having her who-ha-ha flashing in front of a guy's face would be enough to get her to leap right off me in embarrassment, but no. She didn't even flinch at the news. She just didn't give a damn, apparently.

 _Oookay… Do I just push her off at this point?_

At long last, she finally decided to say something and put an end to all the creepy silence.

"Wow…" she said in humble astonishment. A long pause followed before she spoke her next thought. "You have her eyes."

There are some things I really didn't want to be reminded of. Whose eyes mine looked like would be one of them.

The blonde's smile was suddenly replaced with a pouty expression. "I can't believe her. She never even said anything to me about it. Why didn't she say anything to me?"

It took me a moment to realize that last part was aimed at me. "I… I don't have a clue. Sorry…" I answered honestly.

"She never even consulted me, you know that?" she asked and I just slowly shook my head in response. She looked upset which sort of scared me. "My own sister… How could she go off and embrace someone without at least asking me first?" The girl let out a sullen sigh. "Stupid girl… Even if she is my elder, she should still have to ask for my blessing. Don't you think so, boy?"

I heard something that I did not like in the slightest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up a second… Sister? Who's sister?" I know there was only one possible answer, but I was hoping to God that she and that devil looked like each other only by mere chance.

She tilted her head, gazing down at me with child-like wonder then giggled cutely. "My sister, Remilia, of course."

The answer I dreaded, yet knew was coming… Not a single time did that vampire ever even hint on having a sibling. A younger sister, to boot. Then again, she hasn't said much of anything about herself, but you'd think a heads up on a younger sister would be something she would want to give me. Apparently not…

"Why haven't you come to introduce yourself to me sooner, boy?" the girl asked with an angry glare. "I waited and waited for you to show up, but you never did."

 _Dude… Just be honest and pray she doesn't rip out your throat._

"To be perfectly honest with you, kid, I didn't even know you existed until just now."

The girl rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Of course not… Why would my dear elder sister whom I love very much ever mention the likes of me?" she said with some bitterness evident in her words before letting out an angry huff, a huff that was directed right at me. "And I'm no kid. I'm a Lady and you have to treat me like one."

 _Oh, dear Christ, she's a yuppie little princess too!_

"I feel for you, um… Lady. Really, I do, but could you please get up?" I asked exhaustingly.

The girl's lips curled into an eerie grin. "Why? Does having the younger sister of your master sitting on you bother you that much?"

"Nooo… It's just this marble floor is killing my back."

The girl ensnared me in a blank gaze, making sure my eyes wouldn't leave her face without her consent. "Your heart… I can feel its fast beat on my bottom. And that distinct rhythm it's making… It is one of fear. Are you afraid, boy? Afraid of who or what? Me? Do I frighten you, boy? Why? Am I really that scary? I don't mean to be. Honest." Her expression slowly changed from an unnerving, motionless look to one that had been wronged and was now ready to break down because of it.

She was getting upset and that made me panic. "Look, Miss, cut me some slack here," I said as I made an attempt to calm her. "I'll be real with you and tell you that I'm terrified, but that's because I'm in a very new setting. Call it cultural shock. So much has happened that I'm forced to be on my toes constantly. That's it. It's me, not you. Get it?"

An ominous grin came out of nowhere on the girl's face. "I get it…" She giggled. The blonde vampire repositioned herself so she was lying right on top of me, chest to chest, face to face. Her breath was as deathly cold as the other one's. "You're a lost boy in the woods, lost and afraid with nowhere to run, scared of the things that go bump in the night," she said, almost singing it.

Feeling slightly aggravated, I rolled my eyes at the girl. "If you want to put it that way then, yeah, sure…"

"But now I'm here!" she announced as she sat back up on my chest. "There's no need to fear now! I'm the younger sister of your master so I'll do everything that I can to protect you…" she said, smiling so sweetly, but speaking with words that pulled and gnawed at the strings of my sanity. That ominous grin returned. "Or will I? You look awfully tasty… At least my sister looked like she enjoyed your taste when she was chewing on you." she said as she licked her lips.

And the memories came back with a cruel vengeance.

She just had to bring that nightmarish memory out from the bottom of the trash can of my mind. The sounds of flesh and bone being grinded up came flooding back as if it was happening in real time all over again. My stomach turned on itself immediately. I cupped my hand over my mouth when my stomach twisted, then, without really thinking of the consequences, shoved the blonde vampire off of me with my other hand. I raced to my feet, ran to a wooden stand tucked alone next to the wall and leaned into it, nearly knocking the candle off of it as I felt some stuff in my stomach getting ready to fly out. I'm sure Sakuya would be pissed if I went and tossed my insides out all over the hallway floor, but if push comes to shove, I'll do my best not to aim for the floor and instead aim for the blonde little twat that put me in this queasy state.

The vampire in question was getting back to her feet after I sent her tumbling off of me. She brushed her skirt once she was on her feet, glaring at me with a huff afterwards. "Hey, now what was that for, huh? You're not supposed to push a Lady like that. What kind of gentleman are you? You hurt Remilia's already piss poor reputation doing things like that."

Anger was blooming and God knows I tried to hide it, but it snuck out with my words. "That vampire can burn in Hell along with her reputation for all I care and I wouldn't mind if you joined her," I sneered.

And the blonde vampire sort of stared at me in complete shock, jaw hanging low and all. Did I regret what I said? Yup.

The girl's dangling jaw was slowly brought back up to form a heart-piercing smirk. "Well, well, well… My sister's new pet has a mouth on him… A very naughty little mouth…" The blond vampire began taking slow strides towards me, all the while beaming up at me with those hell-born eyes. "Oh, what should I do? What should I do?"

The nauseating pain in my stomach was finally subsiding, giving me a clearer mind to think and act with. So I stood up straight and faced the vampire despite her eyes inflicting me with anxiety. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I've been under a lot of stress lately and I'm not good at keeping my mouth shut when I'm upset. You can relate, right?"

The vampire stopped and narrowed her eyes at me, looking suspicious about if I was being honest or not. "Hmm… I guess I could forgive you. You are my dear sister's little boy pet."

"Let me clear something up real quick," I began, trying to ignore the plethora of insults thrown at me. "The relationship between your sister and I? It is not of an owner and their pet. It's more like a condescending boss and their pissed-off employee. Alright? Just want to make that clear with you."

"What did my sister offer you to convince you to be her pet?" the vampire asked. She had completely ignored what I had just said to her a second ago.

I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves. "I didn't agree to this. At all. Your sister tricked me into becoming this… freak."

The girl blinked. "My sister… tricked you?" she asked, her eyelashes fluttering as she stared at me with focus.

I nodded tiredly. "Yes…"

She narrowed her eyes at me again. "Liar."

I was done talking with the vampire. "Whatever. Believe what you want. I'm going to bed. Being that witch's mistake takes a lot out of me." I gave the blonde vampire a half-assed wave goodbye and off I went back to my room.

"A mistake, you say?" the girl asked.

I stopped then looked back at the weirdo, confirmed with a loud and clear "Yes," and continued walking.

"Oh… I see…" the girl said.

That should have been the end of our conversation, but the sudden stab of icy pain in my back forced me to a halt. The sudden pain came with a cold sense of dread. It was a sickening feeling of déjà vu.

It was clearly a mistake, but I turned around to face the blonde demon, finding her staring at me with murder pulsating from the pits of her eyes. With her gaze having frozen me still, she began taking one menacing step towards me at a time. Being able to go from cute to horrifying at the drop of a hat must be some sort of art for these vampires because they were damn good at it.

"It all makes sense now," the hellish creature started, her lips pulled into an unnerving sneer. "My sister would NEVER sire a newborn without my blessing. She would never sire a newborn PERIOD!"

Her sudden shouts were like daggers right into my ears. My legs were even hurting, but not enough for me to be unable to use them. I would have been flying down the hallway in terror if her eyes hadn't trapped me. All I could do was take steps backward with my gaze tangled with hers, steps that went no faster or slower than the demon's own pace.

"She must have gotten too excited having a little _fun_ with you. Isn't that right, boy?" the blonde vampire said with a callous hiss. "Lost in her little ride on you she was, wasn't she, dog?"

My heart skipped a beat. "N-No, I was dying when she found me. I swear it," I said, my voice strained by the fear that was quickly overtaking me.

"I'm sure you were, boy. How else could that light eater even manage to drain you otherwise?" The vampire was gradually showing her real features. Her fangs were protruding outward with a menacing shine at their tips and her nails were practically talons. "Don't worry, little one. I am Flandre Scarlet, younger sister of Remilia Scarlet, and as a fellow member of the House of Scarlet, it is my obligation to clean up her mistakes and I'll be doing exactly that by erasing YOU!"

A horrendous shriek followed the monster's declaration and she lunged for me, teeth bared and claws at the ready. That nightmare with the vampire was about to have a sequel, except this time it was the younger sibling she had somehow forgotten to mention that was going to play the part of slasher, unless I did something.

My survival instincts, God bless them, kicked into gear immediately and I leaped onto the defensive. I went into auto-pilot mode and allowed my body to do what it felt it needed to do because God knows that I was clueless as to what I could possibly do to this vampire, given my past experience with the older one. My hands reached for the wooden stand next to me and swung it the split second before the beast could carry out her insane obligation.

Shockingly, it was a direct hit. The table itself exploded upon impact. It blew up into shards of wood that scattered everywhere. As for the crazy bitch herself, she was knocked clean out of the air and sent right back where she was previously standing, except now she was on the flat of her back.

What had just conspired before me had trouble being processed in my head, but a few seconds later and I realized what I had done.

I stared at the unconscious vampire then at my hand. One of the legs to that now-demolished table was still in my grasp. I dropped it with a gasp. "Oh… my god…"

The girl was unconscious and I'm the one who did it. With nothing but a wooden stand, I knocked the hell out of the vampire. A certain amount of pride sprouted within my being. Slowly, a smile took place of my disheveled expression. I pointed boldly at the downed vampire.

"Ah ha! Looks like you really are just the younger sibling, the weaker of the two," I arrogantly said. I leaned down and picked up the leg of the busted stand then lobbed it over onto the vampire. "Eat wood, you little bitch." The vampire began to stir. "Eh?"

The now-conscious vampire moaned as she slowly sat up. Coming to, her eyes flickered. She shook her head wildly as she cleared her head. Once her mind was back up to speed, she glared hatefully at me then snarled.

"Ah!" I jumped back in surprise. Shit had just gotten real. I needed to defuse the situation and fast. "Look, Miss, you gotta admit that was a pretty sweet move on my part." Her snarling only grew in intensity and volume. I really didn't know what I could say to calm her down, so I decided to simply say what was truly on my mind. "If it makes you feel any better, I hate both you and your sister." The vampire jumped to her feet then let loose an ear-piercing screech. "Fuck this! I'm out!" I shouted then took off like a mad man. "Everything sucks here!"

Terrified out of my mind, I commanded my legs to go as fast as they could possibly go. I wasn't about to go through the same exact thing that I did with the blue-haired vampire so help me God. They did their job well, for I was already out of the west wing of the mansion. I wasn't about to question the inhuman speed I was moving at, considering it was keeping me as far away from the blonde vampire. Unfortunately I could still hear the ungodly howls coming from the vampire not too far behind me. I had to hide, but where?

After running my ass off, I made it to the other end of the mansion – the east side, I believe. I saw another row of doors leading to what I presume to be bedrooms so I picked one at random and ran to the door. I grabbed the doorknob, opened the door and slammed it right behind me. I don't know if I was lucky or unlucky, but I managed to find Sakuya's room. How did I know it was hers? Well, because she was standing right there in the room with me, standing in front of a full-length mirror in nothing but black underwear and… well, that was pretty much it. I invaded her room just as she was changing, it would seem. The fact that she was able to get my mind off the blonde horror chasing after me speaks volumes of how gorgeous her body was. And those boobs, man… Those boobs… They were of pretty good size and were nice and round. If only I wasn't being chased by the spawn of Satan. I would be telling Sakuya how beautiful her milky skin was right now.

We just sort of stared at one another for a few moments, a lone clock somewhere in the room ticking away the seconds. Sakuya's expression was like that of a deer caught in a set of headlights, but her face slowly became red as her brain kicked into gear.

Liking what I saw, I nodded in approval. "Your uniform betrays how big your boobs are. And those hips are amazing!" I kindly informed.

And just out of nowhere, she threw a knife at me that barely missed my ear and stuck into the door behind me.

"Sweet Jesus!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Isaac, what do you think you're doing?! Get out!" Sakuya shrieked vehemently with an arm held across her breasts.

Of course, her shouting gave my position away. The demon started beating at the door, all the while making that hellish howling sound.

I stood my ground despite Sakuya's demand. Even after that sudden knife throw, I was obviously more afraid of the blonde. "You kidding me? Do you not hear that bullshit out there?" I asked as I tried to act as a barricade for the door as it rattled madly behind me.

The demon's howls and her battering of the door came to an abrupt stop. I turned to face the door, listening ever so carefully for movement on the other side. Was I about to open that door? Hell no. I was content with staying in that room with my barely-clothed coworker until the end of time.

The demon outside hadn't gone anywhere as I had hoped. She was still out there, snickering like a crazed hyena.

"What in the world is going on?" Sakuya questioned.

The horror struck again before I could try and answer my understandably confused colleague. I hoped the arm that suddenly punched through the door was enough of an explanation for her.

The demon's hand grabbed me by the front of my shirt before I could leap back out of its reach. "She's gonna eat me!" I screamed. The demon jerked me forward, bouncing my face off the door one time, a second time, and a third time for added insult.

Sakuya hastily threw on a bra and came to my aid. She grabbed the knife she had thrown at me, pulled it out of the door and stuck the devil with it, right into the forearm. I don't know why she was keeping a knife in her bedroom, but I didn't care in the slightest given the fact she had just saved my poor ass. The demon let out a hurt yelp as she lost grip of me and reeled in her arm.

The demon let out another horrid screech, nearly piercing our eardrums. The door was assaulted with a vicious beating once more.

Sakuya marched up to the door with a huff. "Lady Flandre, is that you? Please stop terrorizing Lady Remilia's new servant," she requested politely.

I grabbed her by the arm. "Are you nuts?! The bitch is trying to kill us!"

"Careful with what you say. That's the younger sister of the Mistress."

"Yeah, we fucking met," I uttered waspishly.

The demon broke through the door with a sudden bang, blasting it off its hinges and scattering the room with wood fragments. Sakuya and I dove to the floor, barely managing to avoid the flying debris. We both rushed back to our feet just as the pompous monster strolled herself into the room, lips curled into an insane crown. For all that was holy, her accursed eyes looked like they had a raging inferno inside them!

The blond vampire snickered now that she knew she had me backed into a corner. "That little knock to the head you gave me got my imagination going. How exactly I'm going to erase you has become an annoyingly complex problem," she said in a warped voice.

The situation was going down the shitter real fast. My mind raced to find a solution to this hell I was trapped in. Eventually, something finally came to me. It was something desperate, but it was something at the least. I ran over to Sakuya, picked her up then tossed her over my shoulder.

"Isaac! What the hell are you doing?!" Sakuya exclaimed, upset.

"Getting us the fuck outa' here!" I declared, clearly out of my mind. I wasted no time and rushed towards the demon blocking the doorway.

The blond creature raised an eyebrow. "What are you…" she started but never finished her thought.

Once I got close to the little wretch, I swung my leg upward with all my might. My foot went flying up between the girl's legs and BAM, I hit my target dead-on. I had just kicked a vampire square in the crotch.

Tears rolled down the vampire's face as the pain settled in. "Y-You…!" she struggled to say, her voice now a little more high-pitched than normal.

The vampire was paralyzed from the pain so that's when I took my chance. With Sakuya in tow, I shoved the vampire to the side and ran like mad.

"Isaac, I… I can't believe you just kicked Lady Flandre!" Sakuya said, understandably surprised.

"Don't worry, Sakuya! I'll save ya!" I loudly announced.

"No you won't!" Sakuya stated.

And just like that, the half-naked, gorgeous lady I was carrying over my shoulder like a keg was suddenly gone. I came to an abrupt stop. My eyes zipped across the corridor in frantic search for the Boss Maid, with no trace of her being found.

"What the fuck?" I said, bedazzled by whatever it was that had just happened.

There was no one to be found in the hall. There are no bedrooms down this hall so Sakuya couldn't have simply hid. Just what on Earth was going on? Was I going insane? Was all the anxiety finally getting to me? I didn't know. I had no answers for anything.

The corridor had only me as an occupant, but that soon changed. From around the corner appeared that dreaded, blonde vampire. I gasped as she slowly walked towards me, her hellish eyes staring into my soul, making it quiver inside of me. I was tired from having sprinted off as fast as I did and I was almost certain that the vampire was more than capable of running me down if I tried to make another run for it in the diminished state that I was in. In short, I was downright screwed.

"You kicked me…" she grumbled. "You kicked me in my private spot. And now I think I'll kick you in yours."

I gasped in fright. I saw it. I fucking saw it. It was like some kind of vision or something. I saw the damn vampire kick me, but it wasn't just some everyday kick. It was one that made me explode! How is that even possible?!

"Are you ready, boy? I coming for yooouuu!" she announced and immediately rushed for me.

It was over. All over. I was about to die after only being in this world for a short time. And to think I was about to die within the damn walls of the mansion. If that other accursed vampire had only told me she had a sister then I could have been more prepared.

I covered my head, not wanting to watch it happen. "Oh, God, please forgive me," I prayed.

Suddenly I heard a loud screech from leather going across marble. I uncovered my head to see a surprising sight. Standing in front of me was that blue-haired vampire. She stood in front of me staring at the blonde vampire. They both just stared at each other for a bit before one of them spoke.

"Why, hello there, Flandre," the elder vampire said.

"Good morning, Remilia," the younger vampire said. "Would you like to explain what that is standing behind you?"

 _Maybe I'll finally get an explanation for why she changed me._

The blue-haired vampire shrugged her shoulders. "What's there to explain? He is my servant. That is it," she said dismissively.

 _Guess not…_

The blonde stomped her feet, causing the floor to shake. "Are you fucking kidding me right now, Remi?" she shouted angrily. "You go off and embrace someone without so much as telling me?!"

"You watch your mouth when speaking to me, Flandre," the elder vampire said assertively.

"I can't believe you! What would daddy think of you now?"

"That's neither here nor there now is it not, Flandre?"

The blonde vampire turned around and began to walk away. "Fine! Forget you! Just remember that he's my pet also," she said with a huff.

 _Like hell I am!_

She stopped for a moment, turned her head and looked at me with a wink, sending a chill up my spine. "See you around, boy toy," she said before heading off. In a few moments and the blonde disappeared back around the corner. What a shitty way to meet someone. I need to not bother meeting anyone unless I absolutely have to.

The other vampire said nothing for a while. She then sighed. "Flandre, Flandre, Flandre… We'll talk about this later. I promise."

"That's sweet and all, but when were you going to tell me the extremely important fact that you have a god damn little sister?" I asked.

She turned around and glared at me. "Don't you have floors to mop?"

"I'm serious!" I exclaimed. "You barely tell me anything as it is, but the fact you didn't tell me you had a sibling was just stupid."

The vampire began walking, paying me not so much as a glance. "I will tell you what you need to know and nothing more," she said.

"You having a sister didn't qualify?" I asked in bewilderment, but the vampire said nothing and continued walking. She too disappeared around the corner. I did nothing but sigh.

"What is with you? Can you at least throw me a bone here?" I asked the no-longer-present vampire.

"She works in mysterious ways."

"Wah!" I jumped in surprise from the sudden voice. It was just Sakuya. She was fully clothed in her uniform. "Jesus, girl, don't surprise me like that."

"My apologies, sir," she said with a bow. "You should go to bed. There will be plenty of work for you when you awake."

"Yippy, skippy…" I said, agitated with the news.

Today I met a second member of the Scarlet family. It wasn't a nice meeting to say the least. It was a shit day and I'm sure more shit days were on their way. All I could do was endure them one at a time, and constantly wonder what goes on the inside of that blue-haired vampire's mind.


	10. Chapter 9 The Thirst

My head spun like a top. My skin crawled and shivered with each cold touch I felt. How I had gotten into such a situation was a question for the ages. Chains held my arms behind me as I sat bound. My so-called unnatural strength had failed me. Try as I may, the chains refused to break so I could be freed from this unexplainable position that had befallen me. The one who had bound me was standing over me, staring me down with a perverted grin, her hands on her hips and her shirt opened up enough for me to see what would normally be a wonderful sight. Two lumps that were her breasts peered out. They were of surprising size for a short girl and would bounce when she would let out a portentous giggle. I was far too concerned with something else to be happy with the display, something that was being done to me.

"Ouch! God, damn it, will you cut it out?!" I shouted in flustered anger.

Remilia Scarlet, my abductor, could only chuckle as she continued on with her obscene torment. "Aww, you make it sound like you hate it," she chuckled more. "Be real with yourself and stop holding back. This surely is a marvelous treat for you, isn't it?"

"Piss off, you crazy bitch!" I bellowed, only for the pain to come again. "Ahh, bloody hell!"

She had done it again. My pants were gone, leaving me vulnerable and allowing for the vampire to do unwanted things to me. Her bare foot was right on my equipment. She held my dick with her toes as she put pressure on my balls with the heel of her foot, bringing me pain. No, there was no getting hard over this.

The crazy vampire narrowed her eyes at me. "You know how to properly address me, so address me correctly, worm," she ordered.

"Bitch is the best way to describe you- OOUCH!" She had pressed down on my nuts harder.

Her sickening grin returned. "You should at least let yourself go. I rub and rub, yet you keep resisting. I'm rather impressed, actually," she said with bated breath.

"There's no way I could get a hardon over this now let me go!" I snarled, only for her to put pressure on me again. "Arrhg! Stop!"

"You don't get to speak unless I give you permission, dog!" she yelled.

I was sweating all over the place. My balls were not in a good place right now. My dick was doing fine, despite being near those sharp looking toenails of the vampire's. Seriously, those things could rip flesh!

"You make me sad," she said with a fake frown. "I'm working hard for you yet you won't get even a little excited for me."

"Foot jobs aren't my thing now cut it ou- Ahhh fuck!" She stepped on me once again. "You're going to crush the damn things," I said, winded.

"What did I say about speaking before I gave permission?" she scowled. Her scowl was short-lived. Her flushed grin returned as she began to lick her lips in anticipation. "Well… If my foot doesn't do the job, then I'll just have to try something else, mm-hmm." She slowly got down on her knees, her hungry eyes on me as she went down.

With my cheeks heated, I instantly freaked. "Ah, hell nah!"

"Oh, don't pretend, my pet." Her eyes slowly fell to my member, her wicked fangs growing in length. "I'll be gentle at the start."

I struggled to break the chains on my arms with every ounce of power available to me. "No! This isn't funny now knock it off!"

The crazy girl suddenly looked like she had fallen into a trance. "You know… I didn't notice just how tasty it looked until I got up close to it," she said.

"Quit joking like that! I warn you!" I shouted as I continued my fruitless struggle.

"Everything about you, as well as your body, belongs to me. That includes this!" She said as she grabbed hold of my dick with a painful squeeze.

The vampire's mouth morphed into that of a horrible monster. Blades had suddenly replaced her teeth and her fangs became abnormally long and sharp. The skin of her face stretched back across the front of her skull. Her pupils had vanished, leaving a deep ocean of blood behind in her eyes. Her wings expanded to the point where they completely encompassed us both, leaving us in darkness. The terrible creature let out a abysmal roar as she went in for the kill.

"NOOOOO!"

* * *

"Not the dick!"

She was gone. The vampire was suddenly no longer in front of me. The room had changed as well and I noticed I could move my arms freely. I looked down at myself to see I had a blanket over me. I was in my bed within the room that was my Sanctuary. Sweating profusely, I realized what had happened.

"Holy shit…" I said as I buried my face in the palms of my hands. "Jesus Christ, it was just a stupid dream. My Lord…"

I worked on getting my breath back as I wiped my clammy face on my blanket. It had been one of the worse dreams I ever had. None of that dream was any good, considering that monster had to be the one in it. There must have been something wrong with me if I was dreaming such things about the vampire.

"Pfft!"

A sound startled me. I quickly looked to my left and realized someone was standing next to my bed. That person was Sakuya.

"Oh, Sakuya. Why you here?" I asked.

"I've come to wake you up. You're late," she stated.

"Ah, shit, really? That's my bad," I said, feeling a little embarrassed and guilty.

"It is fine. Just quickly get your uniform on. There is work to be done."

I nodded. "Just give me a moment."

Sakuya nodded back and turned around to leave the room, but when she did, I noticed something that I don't get to see often.

Embarrassment started to hit me hard. "Did you… smile?" I asked cautiously.

"Maybe."

Heat ran throughout my face. "Don't tell me you heard me yell."

"I hope you didn't lose it, Isaac." Sakuya said then burst out laughing as she left the room, shutting the door behind her. I could still hear her snickering up a storm behind the door.

"Ahh, for fuck's sake…" I moaned, my face meeting my palms. "Don't tell anyone, please," I pleaded.

"I won't," Sakuya replied.

I sighed in embarrassment then looked under my blanket, taking notice that a certain part of my body was still in working order. Made me happy to know that at least.

Doing my best to forget that awful dream, I quickly got my stupid uniform on so I could get to work. Working would definitely help me forget this crappy morning- evening- night, I don't know! I wish I got up in the morning like normal people so I wouldn't lose track of time so easily.

Once I got the god awful uniform on, I left for the hallway where Sakuya was waiting for me. We made a trip through the mansion, arriving at what would be the kitchen. This was the place where Sakuya made all that delicious food I'd been eating. I had always wondered how Sakuya could be so good at multiple things. The kitchen was big and wide open with a large counter in the dead center of it. Off to the side against the wall was where the kitchen sinks were. There were three large sinks, one filled with dirty dishes and the other two filled with water. I could already tell what Sakuya was going to have me do and I didn't like it one bit.

I turned to Sakuya. "I can hear my hallway floor calling me. See ya," I said and went to fast walk my ass out of there, but Sakuya grabbed my shoulder.

"Wrong," she said. "You are going to learn how to properly wash dishes."

"I'd rather wash your back among other things if you'd let me," I indicated with a wink then got my shoulder squeezed hard. "Ow! Jesus, I was kidding!"

Sakuya walked over to the sinks then motioned me to come over. With a disgruntled sigh, I did what was asked of me.

"This isn't a hard task," is what she told me, but, oh, how wrong she was.

Several minutes had gone by and I must have broken at least half of the dishes I was cleaning. I'm telling you they were made of some kind of brittle material because I was barely handling them. I would pick a plate up with only two fingers only for the damn thing to shatter. Sakuya and I were beginning to get on each other's backs because of it. I think it was the first time we both got mad at each other. She was doing a good job at hiding it, but I could tell she was getting frustrated with me as much as I was frustrated with her.

Sakuya let out a sigh as she started to do the dishes on her own. "I think it would be better if we waited to have you do dishes. It was my mistake in having you try knowing what happened to the windows," she said plainly, but I could hear her frustration somewhere in her voice.

"I don't know what the deal is," I said, distraught. "I can hold someone's hand to shake it and I never squeeze hard enough to hurt them. Yet with shit like this, I break them so easily no matter what I do."

"It's fine, Isaac. You'll get full control of your strength eventually. I prom- Ouch!" Sakuya quickly reeled her left hand out of the water.

"Are you alright?" I asked worriedly.

"Yes, it's just a cut. Probably from a shard left in the sink." She was looking at her finger where a small line of blood could be seen. I looked at it myself, but considered it to be exactly as she had said – it was just a small, insignificant cut.

But something happened at the moment. For some odd reason, the rate of my heartbeat increased by quite a large margin. It was beating hard too, pounding against the inside of my ribcage. It was also at that moment that I started to smell something incredible. I was going to have a look around the kitchen to see where that heavenly sent was coming from, but my eyes… they refused to move away from the sight of Sakuya's cut. A trickle of blood formed then rolled down the length of her finger, making me quiver in a strange delight. My mind had gone fuzzy, my body warm. What was happening to me? I asked myself this, but instantly lost interest in the question. There was only one thing that had my complete undivided attention and it was the blood coming out of the Boss Maid's finger. I don't understand what was so fascinating about it. It was as if I was looking at something precious to me, something that I always wanted to be mine. And it was going to be mine. And once it was mine? I… don't know. I could figure that out once I had the blood!

I snatched Sakuya by the wrist. "Ouch! Isaac, you're hurting me!" she shouted at me, but her voice seemed so distant. It was weird.

I immediately let go of Sakuya. "I- I'm sorry. It's just…"

It was just what? I don't know. I had no clue as to what to do with that blood once I had it. That's when it hit me; I sudden thirst. I had grown so thirsty so fast that it felt like I hadn't drank anything in so long. I was panting and my body shook as if I was fatally dehydrated. It was such a horrible feeling. I couldn't stand it! But that smell… That glorious smell let me know that everything would be okay. I guess you could say that the blood sung to me.

Sakuya gently held my face and tried to get me to focus on her, but it wasn't happened. That splendid, accursed blood had an unholy hold on my focus. Everything had gone monochrome all of a sudden, all except for that blood. I shut my eyes, but all I could see was crimson red.

Sakuya shook me, forcing me to open my eyes. For once, I was able to see her beautiful face instead of that damn blood. I did look back at the blood, but I noticed Sakuya had wrapped a torn cloth around her finger, ending it's bleeding. I was getting angry for no reason now.

"Isaac. We need to go to Lady Remilia this instant," Sakuya said, her voice so far and distant.

I sneered at her. "No way. You know I don't like seeing her. She can go ahead and suck my… Err, she can go do something, but as long as it has nothing to do with my dick."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Isaac." Sakuya face palmed.

"But enough about her…" I reached for her injured hand, but she pulled her hand away. Now I was pissed. I slammed my foot into the floor, shaking the entire room. "You constantly tell me I'm something I'm not, but when I go to act like one you suddenly don't want any part of it! You're a fucking hypocrite!" I roared in a bizarre voice. Sakuya looked awfully frightened. I don't want to see her looking like that. Why is she so frightened?

"Isaac, you need to calm down-"

"No, you calm down! I work here unwillingly and don't even get paid to do it. The least you can do is… is… Bah! Just don't move!"

I lunged for her. I swear I didn't want to, but control over my body's actions was greatly diminished from that intoxicating aroma. I was even shouting shit that I didn't mean to. My hands reached out for Sakuya's neck. I tried closing my eyes, daring not to watch what I was about to do, by even my eyelids refused to obey me. Before I could grab her, she struck me with a hard slap across the face. It stung like a son of a bitch. She had stopped me, but an agonizing hatred boiled in my chest.

A sudden, horrible shriek boomed all around the kitchen. Where on Earth did it come from? My mouth was wide open, but it couldn't possible been from me. I can't make such dreaded screams. Only a monster could and I'm not a monster.

I slapped a hand over my gaping mouth and the sudden shriek came to an end. Sakuya and I stared at one another for a moment before I could finally say what I really wanted to say.

"I'm so sorry, Sakuya," I said in a weak voice. It was hard to speak. My fangs were protruding and wouldn't go back to normal. I couldn't even shut my mouth all the way.

I turned to run away, but Sakuya grabbed me by the hand. "Hold it right there, Isaac. You knew this day would come," she said assertively.

I franticly shook my head. "I've been doing just fine up until this moment. I don't need to change anything."

"Isaac, you can't stand there and pretend that you didn't know what was in those drinks I've been bringing you."

"No! Don't tell me what's in them." I said miserably. "I don't need those drinks. I'll do fine on just water if I have to."

"Wrong," Sakuya said as she forced me to turn around and face her. She stared deeply into my eyes, making sure that I wouldn't turn away from her. "You won't simply die if you refuse to feed. You could end up going berserk and start killing all those who are around you. Do you want that to happen, Isaac?"

I felt a little offended. "Of course not!" I exclaimed. "Can't I just… Why don't I just continue drinking those drinks like I have been? I… I think I can handle that. I mean I have been for a while now, right?"

Sakuya sadly shook her head. "Those drinks purpose was to delay your desire to feed until you had gotten as accustomed to your new life as much as possible. They were never meant to be a substitute," she informed.

A sickening sense of despair had wadded up in the pit of my stomach. "I… I can't do it. I just can't."

"You have to. It's not your choice. It's simply how all vam-"

"Stop there!" I shouted. "Just… Just don't continue that sentence. I get it…" I said as my nerves calmed a little. "Let's just go… to what's-her-face."

Sakuya gave me a nice smile, calming my nerves a little more, and off we went to where the Devil resided. I was not going to like this…

Even after leaving the kitchen, that glorious smell hung around me, filling me with sick delight and dark temptation. My mind remained fuzzy and light. I had tried to keep my mind off of Sakuya's wound by focusing on her rear-end, but even that heavenly booty failed to cull my thirst. I actually had thought about grabbing a hold of her ass just to get her to slap me and hopefully bring me out of this bloody trance I seemed to be stuck in, but I didn't have the balls to at that moment.

After the hike through the mansion, we stood in the Devil's office. Sakuya had just gotten done explaining everything to the short girl. The vampire seemed intrigued with what she heard.

The vampire looked up at me, her face plain and, for once, devoided of any sort of anger or frustration that was usually aimed at me.

"So, this is the day, huh?" she said. "I hope you're prepared, my childe, because this day will be a day to remember."

Tired, I let out a small sigh. "Isn't there another way so I can avoid biting someone's poor neck?"

"Don't be stupid. All vampires must feed every once in a while. Regular food is delicious, yes, but it is not what keeps us living an immortal existence. We MUST feed on human blood in order to sustain ourselves. There is absolutely no way around it, so suck it up."

I sneered at her. "That's easy for you to say…"

"Unlike me – and this is unfortunate indeed – your thirst is large due to your stature and your gender.

"Aaaand that's supposed to mean what?"

The vampire's lips curled into a grin. "You have a very good chance of killing the one you feed upon."

My heart stopped for a moment. "You gotta be shitting me," I said in horror.

"I am not _shitting_ you. That's just how it is… BUT." She giggled before continuing her thought. "I take it that you want to learn how not to kill your victims. Am I correct in assuming this?"

I felt relieved that there was a chance to avoid killing someone over something so stupid. Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to feed or whatever at all, but the sick desire for blood was pushing me against my will. I was afraid I would lose control over myself again if I didn't placate that desire.

"Yes! Tell me how!"

The vampire's grin widened further, her face going dark. Her focus slowly turned from me over to Sakuya. "Go ahead. Enjoy."

Wearily, I looked to Sakuya. She was standing silent, waiting patiently for an order from the vampire. Sweat was forming all over my face as I realized what the vampire was thinking. I was so blown away from the notion that I fell onto my ass.

"I can't!" I shouted. "

"I know you two have gotten to know each other quite well and even have gotten friendly with one another. So, if you would rather not kill Sakuya, then I suggest you learn when to stop during your feeding." The blasted vampire said.

She was nuts. Absolutely fucking crazy. Sakuya is her top maid. Why would she gamble her life? Does she not even care what happens to her?

"Your first feeding will be the most intense experience of your undead life. So, don't be afraid to enjoy yourself," she said then nodded to Sakuya.

I was about to bring down the mansion on the vampire with nothing but hateful words, but my rage was stopped in its tracks when Sakuya walked over to me. She then did something unexpected – she sat herself down right on my lap. Her choker had been removed, exposing her neck fully. I couldn't believe how willing she was to let me feed on her. She should be afraid. She should had run the second that damn vampire insisted I drink from her. Why? Why isn't she worried for her life?

My breathing had accelerated. I was breaking down. My racing thoughts were tearing at my soul. I was trembling, shaking the girl sitting on top of me. I shut my eyes, wishing for everything around me to just leave me alone and disappear. My stomach flipped on itself and it felt like I was going to puke. I most likely would have if not for Sakuya doing something strange. All of a sudden, the Boss Maid embraced me, pushing my face into her breasts. The trembling in my body had ceased. My racing thoughts had slowly come to a halt. I was suddenly in a place that I never expected to be outside my dreams.

"S-Sakuya?" I said with a shaky voice.

She slowly pushed me away out of her breasts (let me back in!). My eyes were stuck staring at her large chest. The maid then did something else that was totally unexpected – she started to unbutton her uniform. I started to tremble for an entirely different reason. I wanted to ask her what she was doing, but the way she slowly unbuttoned her uniform button by button kept me silent in awe. It only got better from there. When she had unbuttoned all she needed to, she opened her shirt and out popped her boobs. They sat in a black bra, but not for very long. She pulled up her bra and her breasts poured out. I had already gotten a sneak preview of her breasts before, but this was still a very new experience for me. Gotta say it, I was quite the happy man.

It then dawned on me that I was now in less of a state of bloodlust. I lusted for what was in front of me now. Though blood was still high on the list of my desires, I, in a strange way, felt I had regained some of the control of my body. But I wasn't about to let my guard down. I felt it in the back of my mind, that uncontrollable lust for blood screaming at me to just tear into the neck of the girl sitting on me. The bloodlust will not win over me. I must not let it, for Sakuya's sake.

Sakuya's tits went up and down in hypnotic motion with each inhale and exhale that she did. I had actually gotten the crazy idea of biting into one of her boobs. The thought thrilled me and I think I was about to mindlessly carry out that action. My mouth gapped open suddenly, but before I could bite into anywhere, I wrapped my arms around Sakuya in an embrace and buried my face in between her breasts once again. She let out a small moan, a moan that sang an exciting tune. I was letting myself get too into it and I grabbed her left boob and softly squeezed it. Another moan from the maid and another shiver from me. I pulled my head out of her breasts, looked at the nicely rounded boob still in my hand and observed the nipple that stood up at end. Again, I just wanted to bite into her breast and… I sort of did. Without thinking, I place my lips on her boob, covering her nipple.

With my mind flooding with delight from the texture of the maid's breast, I was desperately careful as to not accidently pierce her skin with my fangs. I felt that I must drink her blood, but I was too terrified of what would happen to me once I tasted it. Would I be able to stop myself before it was too late? Would that damn vampire stop me or would she allow me to accidently kill Sakuya? I didn't want to take the chance. I just wanted to go back to my room and never come out again. All I could do was stall the inevitable.

I sucked on her boob in rhythm to her moans. Sucking hard, I pulled at her boob, stretching it before releasing it with an audible pop. I reached up and kissed the bottom of Sakuya's chin. I kissed and sucked in a bid to give her a hicky. My hand, acting on its own, glided from her waist, down the length of her skirt then reached up under it. It reached around behind her then dove down into her underwear before squeezing her ass-cheek.

"Ah!" Sakuya cried out, seemingly in delight.

My dick was hard and it poked her bottom as I massaged her butt and kissed her neck. I licked her neck, nearly giving it a bite, but I reeled myself in and continued to play with her ass and sucking on her breasts. I wanted to go further. I would have pushed her down and tore off her panties at that moment if it wasn't for the darker temptation taking over me.

Still resisting taking a bite, I continued to lick, suck and play with Sakuya's boobs. I was enjoying myself too much to stop and the moans and groans Sakuya would softly make made it even harder. Unfortunately, the bloodlust didn't care about the great situation I was in and was stabbing at my mind. I felt I was at my best moment to try and feed off Sakuya, but I was too damn scared. I tried to convince myself, telling myself that I was at the most calm and clearheaded that I could be. Restraint was all I needed, but, again, it was the thought of getting one little taste of blood that made me feel it would be the end.

Resisting was something I could no longer do. If I continued to resist now, then I could forget about having control later. Now was the moment to feed. Giving one of Sakuya's boobs another suck and squeezing her ass one last time, I prepared myself by slowly opening my mouth. I could feel my fangs slowly grow in length. Once I thought they had grown enough, I softly enveloped one of her boobs with my mouth once again. When my fangs touched flesh, I felt a sudden pull that nearly made me bite her in an instant, but I was able to stop myself. With a deep breath, I slowly bit down. My heart raced as the moment of truth came. Once I pierced flesh, there would be no turning back. I needed to keep my mind focused on how much blood I would be draining from her and stop when needed. To be honest, I had very little confidence in myself. I just hope the vampire isn't as cold hearted as she acts.

A liquid had suddenly hit my lips. It was blood! I accidently pierced into Sakuya's flesh without realizing it. The adrenaline in my body was pumping from the spectacular taste. Its taste was unique. There was no true way of explaining how incredible the blood tasted. All I knew was that I wanted more!

I pierced even further into her flesh, blood gushing out and into my mouth. I was about to chomp down and tear off her poor breast, but when she let out a yelp of pain, I was, thank God, able to stop my jaw from closing any further. I didn't need to bite any more than I needed, I told myself. Any more would be excessive. All I had to do was feed from this point on and I wasn't about to fucking stop. Then that's when it hit me that I was losing myself to the bloodlust. I mentally kicked myself in the head several times, telling myself to only drink what was needed. But how much did I need? Either it would be enough for me or enough for Sakuya. It had to be the latter for the sake of her life. There was no compromise to be made. I would have to force myself to stop before her skin has the chance to get cold.

My mind started to go all foggy and that was the moment I knew I had to stop. The bloodlust was trying to drown my consciousness and I wasn't about to let it succeed. With one strong jolt, I quickly unlatched myself and, damn, did it hurt like hell. My jaw was hurting badly from forcing it open so quickly. But I didn't care. I stopped myself despite the bloodlust and that was all I needed. I don't know if I had gotten enough blood from Sakuya, but I didn't care. It had to be enough… for now.

I fell onto my back as I panted in exhaustion. My sight was slowly growing dim as I stared up at the ceiling and just before everything went dark, that Devil stood over me, looking down with a cocky smirk.

"Well, well, well," she said. "Looks like someone was able to control himself. Well… some control at least," she said then chuckled. "Of course, I would have punished you before you could have done any lasting damage, so you never really had anything to worry about." Her grin widened until she bore her own fangs. "Understanding what you are yet?" The question wrapped my mind in a cold embrace.

The vampire faded away into the darkness and I lost consciousness.


	11. Chapter 10 To the Library

Blistering headaches; that's all I seem to be rewarded with for all my hard work. And now I had another task that would surely make my head hurt worse. A god damn cigarette would do wonders for my piss poor mood. I hope to God cigarettes even existed in this god forsaken world.

A plate with tea and treats were balanced on the tips of my fingers. I can barely walk holding the plate like this, but the Boss Maid, Sakuya, insisted that it was the proper way for me to transport it. I was following her to the lower parts of the mansion. I was to deliver the tea and snacks to someone named Patchouli. I can tell you right now; I was in no way interested in meeting this person. My last meet with someone did not go well and I didn't see this coming meeting being any better.

Walking behind Sakuya only made the trip worse. My first _feeding_ was still fresh in my mind. I was still flustered over the inexplicable encounter we had. She had let me feed off her, but the way she did it had my mind racing from the moment I fed off her to this very moment. I could not look at her without getting stirred up. What blew my mind was that she didn't seem fazed by what happened whatsoever. Here I am, getting hot and bothered by her mere presence and she talks to me as if that encounter never even happened. She was damn good at her job. Damn good.

 _All I want to do is to continue where we left off…_

After a tiresome stroll, we arrived at our destination – a needlessly giant set of doors.

I just stared at the oversized doors with a dumbfound look. "Why the hell are they so big? It's completely unnecessary for them to be that size," I said, troubled.

"Behind these doors is the Great Library of Voile," Sakuya responded. "You will find Lady Patchouli. Find her and deliver her snacks to her."

"Do I have to?" I whined. "Isn't there something else I can do?"

"You need to get acquainted with the rest of the mansion as well with those who live here," Sakuya said. "This is the orders of Lady Remilia."

"She didn't seem to care if I ever met that blonde," I argued.

"She would have had you meet her sister when she was ready," Sakuya insisted. "Now…" She walked up to the large doors and pushed them open. The doors opened with the tremble of the floor. "Just go straight down this middle aisle. You will find where Lady Patchouli studies eventually."

 _Eventually… Are you kidding me, my dear?_

I looked down the aisle, seeing no end to it. Looking upward, I could see that the bookcases were impractically tall. What disturbed me most was just how high the ceiling went. It was impossible for it to be that high. The next floor wasn't that far up.

I shook my head frantically. "No. No god damn way I'm going in there. I'd get lost in an instant," I said.

"Like I said, just go straight. You will find the center easily."

I let out a disgruntled sigh, knowing that there was just no arguing with Sakuya. "Whatever. I'll go. Can I at least get a kiss just in case I get my ass lost in there forever?" The Boss Maid smacked me hard across the left cheek in response. "Ow! Jesus, I was just kidding!"

"Deliver the tea and treats," she ordered plainly.

I let out a long, drawn out sigh. "Yes, Boss…"

I began my journey to the heart of the massive library. There were no signs of those fairy maids which got me wondering if this Patchouli person took care of the library herself. I say it was implausible for just one person to care for this huge place, but I was prepared for the impossible. I've been hit with dreadfully wondrous things one after another ever since I got to this strange place.

Several minutes had passed. No, dozens of minutes. I had yet to be given a watch so I didn't know for sure, but I had a good internal clock I thought. My feet and the fingers that balanced the tray were killing me. There just wasn't anyway this library could be so big, but it was slowly proving to me that it was. How was such a place even able to exist in this mansion? Thinking about it was making my head spin.

The aisle I was in came to an end. It emptied out into another aisle that ran east and west instead of north and south. Sakuya had told me to just continue journeying down this one aisle, but what now? Which way do I go? Do I just pick a direction and hope for the best? To hell with that! I said I would get lost and that's exactly what just happened. Damn it all!

"Fucking hell! The hell am I supposed to do now?" I angrily said.

"Oh, is somebody there?" someone said.

From right around the corner of one of the bookcases popped out someone – or something – and what a sight it was. It was a girl, a girl with red, flowing hair. She wore a short, black skirt and a black vest over a white shirt. The skirt was absolutely tight on this chick and barely reached her knees. Her face was an exciting sight to behold. This girl had one hell of a high degree of sex appeal. I admit it when I say she got me a little excited with just her looks. But what ruined it was the set of devilish eyes and appendages she sported. Behind her butt was a long, waving tail of a demon. Behind her lower back was a set of black bat-like wings. There was a smaller set of wings protruding right out of the sides of her head. Needless to say, I was freaking the fuck out.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered as I took a few steps backwards from the demon girl.

"Oh, my goodness!" the girl exclaimed in delight. She ran up to me, sending a chill up my body. She gleamed into my eyes. "You must be the new help!" she said.

 _Freaky looking and hot at the same time…_

"You could say that…" I said worriedly as I continued to take steps away from the demon.

"It is so nice to finally meet you. I'm Koakuma," she greeted. She grabbed my free hand and shook it with both of her hands. I gotta admit, her hands were surprisingly soft for a demonic creature. "What's your name, good sir?"

I hesitated to answer at first, but I eventually grew the sack to answer her. "Isaac…"

"Hello, Isaac!" she greeted eagerly yet again. "It's nice to see that Lady Remilia has some good taste," she said as she gave me a teasing wink.

I was happy to hear the kind remark, but I couldn't help but sigh in response. "Yeah, she sure knows how to pick 'em…" I said sadly.

The demon, Koakuma, tilted her head, looking a little confused. "You don't sound so sure, Isaac."

"I'll be frank…" I began before giving the girl the most serious look possible. "I am not all that happy to be here. She turning me into this thing was a mistake. If I had the choice, I would leave this place in a heartbeat."

"A mistake?" she asked for clarification.

"Yes," I answered.

The demon girl put both her hands over her blushing face. She was now wearing a wide grin. "Oh, my… So that's how it happened."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?" I said before realizing what she was thinking. "No! No that's not what happened at all!"

The girl let out a rather seductive chuckle. "Oh, Isaac. You don't have to be bashful about it. I would LOVE to hear the details," she said, still chuckling to herself.

"There's no details to give," I said irritably. "You know what? I'm just going to go. Bye." I began my journey anew, trying my best to forget my encounter with the demon.

"Wait!" the girl shouted then placed herself in front of me once more. "Aren't those for Lady Patchouli?"

"They are. Which is why I need to get going. I'm hoping to find her within the next century."

"I can lead you to her," she claimed.

"That's okay. You just go back to whatever you were doing," I said. I didn't want to spend another second with this creature. Though her beautiful face did leave me conflicted.

"But I insist!" she said then grabbed my free had and started leading me to somewhere. I didn't really trust where exactly she was going to take me, but it didn't seem like I had a choice. But it wasn't all horrible. I got to stare at that heart-shaped pillow of an ass she was rocking. I kid you not; she was totally wearing a thong.

It was another dozen minutes, but we finally reached our destination. We came upon quite a few large, square shaped tables. All of them had a number of books sitting on top of them. Only one of these tables actually had someone sitting at it. It was yet another girl. She had hair and eyes that were purple. She wore a purple dress that looked like a pair of pajamas and on her head was a purple cap with a golden crescent ornament attached to it. The girl sure liked her purple. I assumed this girl was the Patchouli that I was looking for. She didn't seem to even notice me or the demon, so, with no real interest in meeting her, I placed the tray of tea and treats on the table (my fingers finally had some relief!) and turned to the demon girl.

"Could you lead me out of here?" I asked.

With a shining smile, she hooked an arm around one of mine. "Oh, no you don't. You MUST meet Lady Patchouli," she strongly insisted and led me to the purple-haired girl. All I did was groan.

We walked up to Patchouli and waited for her to take notice. Her face was buried in a rather large book. Is this all this girl does is read? I guess it was sort of normal so I wasn't going to give her shit for it. The girl actually looked rather normal, but she can't be normal if she's able to command this demon clinging to me. What could she be? Did I even want to know? Either way, her quietness had a certain charm to it that I liked.

The girl was just so engrossed in the book that she wouldn't take notice of us so the demon chick decided to speak up.

"Hello, Lady Patchouli! Look who I found roaming the library," the demon girl said.

The girl, Patchouli, finally made a glance at me only to look back at her book. "So he finally decided to show his face. It's about time," she said.

And already I didn't like her attitude, but I blamed myself for being in a bad mood more than I did her. I decided to get the greetings out of the way so I can finally leave. "Sup? Name's Isaac. It's nice to meet you," I said then turned to… Koakuma, was it? These names are just too complicated for me to remember. "Could you lead me out of here now?"

"Oh, I can't do that. You just got here," she said with a smile. "Please stay a little longer."

"Yes, please do," the bookworm said plainly. "I am Patchouli Knowledge. I'm Remilia's best friend. It is nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," I responded with a forced smile. What I wanted to know is how she can be friends with that monster, but I kept my mouth shut on that subject.

The demon girl pulled out a chair for me. Reluctantly, I took the offer and sat myself down. Needed a break from all the walking anyways. They had asked me to stay, but none of them spoke another word to me. Koakuma was simply standing on standby with a smile while Miss Knowledge continued to read her book. We literally just sat there in silence for a good five minutes. The silence was killing me so I decided to try and get a conversation going.

"So…" I began. "Are you human or something else?" I asked

"A youkai magician," Miss Knowledge answered, her eyes never leaving the book in her hands.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you are…" I made a glance at the demon chick. "And how about you? What could you be?"

The demon girl's smile glowed. "I am a succubus!" she declared happily and I could do nothing but burst out laughing in response to the absurd answer.

My laughing echoed throughout the library. "A succubus?! Are you serious right now?!" I said before laughing some more in disbelief.

The so-called succubus's smile faded away. "Is it really that surprising?" she asked.

This chick was good looking for sure, but she wasn't worth getting my soul sucked out through my dick. I needed to stay away from her in fear of her pulling some sort of mind trick on me. I already have someone capable of tearing at my mind. One is enough. But… She was tempting, that's for sure.

 _Why must the hot ones be the dangerous, non-human type?_

I ceased my laughter as my head began to hurt again. "Arhg… This is all too much for me…" I said as I rested my forehead on the face of the table.

"So, it's true then," the magician girl started. "You are from the Outside World. And it looks like you are having trouble adapting."

"Loads of trouble," I confessed.

"Not only that, but you don't seem very happy to be here."

"That's because I'm not," I answered truthfully.

"Then why did you agree to the embrace with Remilia?"

I lifted my head off the table, my eyes burning with disdain for that vampire. "I didn't agree. That damn girl tricked me into letting her change me."

"Hmmm…" The so-called magician seemed unsure.

"It was the consequence of them being in the act," the succubus spoke up, her face flushed.

"Ah, that makes sense," the magician said with a nod.

"No, that's not it! Why on Earth does everyone assume that?" I said, distraught.

"Then why did she turn you? What did she offer you?" Patchouli strongly questioned. She was giving me one hell of a gaze now. She was demanding the answers from me. She could quite intimidating when she wants to be.

"She didn't offer me anything and I don't have a clue as to why she decided to turn me. I was dying at the time," I said.

"Hmmm… I find that hard to believe," she said.

"Believe it or not, I don't care."

The girl, shockingly, closed her book. She pointed at me and, suddenly, a little flame appeared at her finger tip. The flame then floated towards me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing so I just watched the flame as it closed the distance between me and it. Once it reached my left arm, the unspeakable happened. The flame, the second it touched my arm, went off in a fiery explosion, blasting me off the chair and sending me to the floor. I hit the floor with a grunt.

Dizzy, I slowly got back up to my feet. When I did, I immediately sneered at the purple-haired woman. "The fuck did you just…"

I went silent when I realized the splattering of blood all over my shirt. Then I realized I was missing something, something very important. I slowly turned my sight to my left arm. What I saw put me in shock in an instant. I fell to my ass and started screaming my head off.

"What the fuuuck! What did you do to my arm?!" I screamed.

My left arm was gone. All that was left was a smoldering, bloody stump. It gushed blood, spilling all over my side and the floor. I put my right hand over the horrible wound in a desperate bid to get the bleeding to stop and continued to scream. I was nearly about to pass out when the purple monster spoke.

"What are you yelling for? Your arm is fine," the monster said.

Anger consumed me. In a frantic desire for revenge, I grabbed a hold of a chair and raised it above my head, ready to smash it over the arm-destroying monster. I would have done it to if I hadn't noticed something eerily different about me. I looked up at the chair I was holding above me. There wasn't one hand holding it, there was two, a right and a left. I looked to my left to see my left arm. It was there as if it never went anywhere. I was absolutely stunned.

Setting the chair back down, I glared hatefully at the purple witch when I realized what had happened. "How dare you. How dare you trick me into thinking I lost my arm. What kind of fucked up voodoo did you use?" I growled.

"No, no," the witch started. "You _did_ lose your arm. It simply reformed. You are, after all, a vampi-"

"Nope, don't say it!" I shouted as I slapped my hands over my ears. An eerie sense of dread came over me. "No, that's… That's not possible. Something like that is absolutely, totally impossible…" The extent of what I was had further deepened into my soul. I knew it was possible. I couldn't deny that.

The succubus pulled down my hands away from my ears. "It looks like he was telling the truth, Lady Patchouli," she said as she playfully squeezed me lips together.

"I just can't believe it," the witch said with a sigh. "What was going through that girl's mind?"

I lightly pushed the succubus away. I really couldn't risk her touching me. Even in my disordered state, her touch was intoxicating. I was actually getting excited, I kid you not. Although, somehow her touch helped me get my mind set straight. She wasn't kidding when she said she was a succubus.

"I told you I was telling the truth," I said resentfully.

"I needed to see for myself," the girl stated. "You see, I've been friends with Remilia for a very long time. If she had any desire to perform the embrace, she would have come to me and told me. I know this for sure."

I shrugged my shoulders, not really sure what else I could tell this woman to get her to believe me. "She apparently didn't even tell her sister, a sister she didn't seem to want to tell me about. She tells me nothing. I'm being honest here," I said sincerely.

"I think he's telling the truth," the succubus said. I'll be honest; it was nice of her to speak for me. "But why would Lady Remilia not tell anyone?"

"It seems that I will need to do a lot of questioning on her next visit," Patchouli said.

"If you find out anything then please, PLEASE tell me. I, more than anyone around here, wants to know what exactly is going through that vampire's mind," I said. Sakuya then popped into my mind. "It was nice meeting you, but I should really be going. Sakuya probably is wondering why I haven't come back yet."

"I understand," Patchouli said with a nod. "It was nice meeting you as well. My only advice for you when living here in Gensokyo is to keep an open mind so things don't come as such a shock to you. It would be good for your mental health."

"Yeah, I actually remember someone telling me something similar before," I mentioned. "I'll honestly try to."

The succubus hugged one of my arms, smiling. "I'll lead you out, but please do come and visit us when you can. We'll give you a warm welcome," she said with a wink. I was a little startled (and, again, excited, I admit) by what she meant, but I didn't let it get to my head. "Just follow me."

And follow her I did, my eyes glued to her behind. Her tail would swing side to side in some sort of attempt to distract me from that fine looking butt, but it was failing. I needed something nice to look at to help me mend my broken mind.

This may seem surprising, but I felt that this meeting could have gone a lot worse. The so-called magician, Patchouli Knowledge, didn't seem all that bad (minus the blowing up of arms thing). Other than her way of finding out if someone is lying or not, she did have the potential of being likable. I didn't really know what it meant to be a youkai magician, but I didn't think about it too much. It was the succubus that scared me. She had one hell of a body from head to toe, but her being some sort of soul-eating demon really turned me off. I tried to push that fact to the back of my mind and just stare at her butt. Maybe I can grow to be friends with them (Lord knows I could use more friends), but I needed to be careful when around them. Let's hope God will still look out for me, despite what I've become.


	12. Chapter 11 Lost

My time of rest normally went uninterrupted, but I found myself in a disturbing dream. Darkness blanketed the sky and fire burned all around me. There was a narrow path through the fire so I tried to make my escape through there. The heat from the fire felt so real even though I knew it was just a dream. I ran and ran, unsure where the path would take me. The narrow path was being engulfed by the fire behind me as I ran. I picked up the pace until I finally found a clearing where the fire had already burned everything to the ground. The ashen ground smoldered and the smoke rose high into the black sky. I hoped I would simply wake up in order to be freed of this strange, hellish landscape, but an outrageous sight caught my eye.

In the open field stood a large, wooden cross, one used for crucifixion. Someone had been nailed to it and I could hear the sounds of her suffering. Too far to see who it was, I made my way towards the cross. Who I found filled me with the same suffering that she was in. It was the vampire, Remilia. I couldn't believe it. Even if this was just a dream, she should be able to free herself from such a situation, but she could not. She wept in her anguish and it filled me with rage to listen to her pain. I needed to free her and thrash whoever put her is such a sickening state. I called to her, telling her everything was going to be okay, but my voice was silent in this dream. Just as I reached her, an aberration of a person appeared right in front of me. The figure was blurred in my vision, making it impossible to identify who they were. All I could make out of the figure was its green hair. I went to attack the creature and save Remilia, but that was when everything went dark. The dreaded dream had ended.

* * *

The day was somewhat of a nice day. Clouds made up most of the sky so I was able to hang out in the courtyard during my break without being driven insane by strong sunlight. I was waiting impatiently for Sakuya to return from her shopping. You can probably guess what I asked her to get me. I prayed to God that she was able to find some and I prayed she would actually get me a pack. While I waited, I hung out at the front gate, talking to Meiling. We made mostly small talk, but I also decided to playfully hit on her a little bit. Not too surprising, she ended up being a fun girl and answered my advances with advances of her own. She was loads of fun to talk to and I'm very glad I got to meet her.

Talking with Meiling passed the time quickly and before I knew it, Sakuya had returned. Meiling opened the gate for her and let her in. I ran up to Sakuya, begging her with my eyes. I didn't need to open my mouth to ask the question that I've been dying for an answer for. She simply stared back at me, not saying a word. After several intense seconds she finally spoke up.

"I shouldn't have gotten you these," Sakuya said as she reached into her pocket. And behold! She pulled out a pack of cigarettes. The one thing I have been dying for and she got them for me. I love this girl!

I eagerly took the pack from her and held them in the air. "Praise the Lord!" I exclaimed happily. I then realized I was missing a very important item. "Shit," I said. "Did you-"

Before I could even finish my question, Sakuya pulled out from her other pocket a lighter. She handed it to me and I gladly took it. I inspected the lighter and found it to be a nicely designed piece of work. It was silver and the head was that of a dragon, with its tail circling the body of the lighter. I will take care of this thing till the day I die. I didn't waste time taking out a cigarette and tossing it in between my lips. I lit it up and took in a deep breath of smoke then blew it out.

"Isaac-" Sakuya started, but I hushed her.

"Shh shh shhhh." I took another deep breath of smoke before exhaling. "Moments like this need to be appreciated, Sakuya," I stated as all my anxiety slowly died down.

"That lighter was given to me for free. You can thank the shop keeper, Rinnosuke, for it," Sakuya said.

"Guy or girl?" I asked.

"A man."

"That dude is now my best friend," I said happily.

"Finish your cigarette so we can go back inside," Sakuya began. "You still have some work to do before you can be dismissed."

"Yeah yeah," I answered then quickly finished up the cigarette.

Meiling poked her pretty head through the gate. "Please do come and talk with me again, Isaac. It was fun having your company," she said with a glowing smile.

"Will do," I smiled back.

"Concentrate on your job, Meiling," Sakuya ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" Meiling answered with a salute then returned to her position.

Sakuya and I made our way back inside the mansion. The cigarette made me more tired than I already was. Unfortunately, I couldn't hit the sack quite yet.

"It looks like you are getting along well with Meiling," Sakuya mentioned.

"Yeah, she's a fun girl. Even for a nonhuman, I like talking with her," I said.

"I take it you still have some trouble around other youkai. Is this correct?"

I let out a drawn out sigh. "Yeah, you could say that," I stated. I then glanced at the Boss Maid with a wide grin. "But you know… You should be a little more like Meiling and loosen up that butt of yours," I said, only to receive a slap across the face. "Ow! Jeez!"

Another day of hard labor went by without incident. The only thing to bother me was that strange dream. The dream came up repeatedly for a while now, getting more and more vivid each time it manifested. The last dream was the worst. I could still feel the heat of the fire on my face. It now bothered me to the point that I wanted to talk to Sakuya about it. Hell, I even thought it appropriate to speak with the vampire and see what she thought. The dream wasn't sitting well with me and it was about time I got some answers. So, with that in mind, I decided to speak up about it the next time I see Sakuya or the vampire.

Yawning my face off, I made my way back to my room. It was a long night and I was ready to sleep for an eternity. The night was actually good – there was no sight of that vampire at any point during the night. I was free from her nagging and was able to do my work in peace. I knew I needed to speak with her, but, eh… We both still don't see eye to eye on some things and tend to get into fruitless arguments. But now it was time to have another cigarette in my room before jumping into bed. I was told not to smoke inside, but my room was my Sanctuary – I could do whatever I wanted within its walls.

Just before entering my room, the impossible happened. Down at the end of the hall was a large, stained window, and through that window came bursting a blonde female figure. The glass shattered and scattered everywhere, coating the floor with numerous shards of glass. The girl landed on her feet amongst the glass. Was I happy to have the window of my hallway smashed the way it was? Nope.

I sneered greatly. "Are you fucking kidding me?!" I yelled.

I recognized the girl. She was at that party. It was the Wicked Witch of the West. Believe it or not, I could actually remember her name – it was Marisa. She got off the broom she was sitting on, wearing a cocky little grin.

"I think I made it in record time," the witch said. She noticed me and smiled. "Well I be damned. It's the newcomer! How you making out, buddy?"

I continued to sneer in anger. "I was doing pretty good until someone smashed my window up. How did you even get up here? This is the third floor."

"I flew," the girl said plainly.

I raised an eyebrow. "Flew? As in fly?"

"Yup," the girl said with a haughty nod.

"That's impossible," I stated.

The girl's cocky grin returned. "You really are new to this place, aint'cha?"

"Enough of that," I said with a heated huff. "You put that broom to some use and clean this shit up," I ordered.

"No time for that." The witch tossed her broom over her shoulder and started walking away from the mess, casually stepping on and breaking the shards of glass into even smaller pieces. "I got books to borrow."

She went to pass me, but I threw my left arm up as a barrier, stopping her in her path.

"I remember now," I started. "Sakuya had warned me about you. She said you like to steal things that aren't yours." I glanced intensely at the thief.

She returned my intense glare with one of her own, all the while wearing that cocky grin of hers. "Do you really want to do this, newcomer?" she asked.

"What I want is for you to clean that mess you made so I can go to bed. Then I want you to get the hell out," I demanded.

"I have a better idea," the girl said as her grin enlarged. She took her broom and sat on it as if she was going to ride it. "Hop on, _pal_. You're a newcomer so I'll play fair. If you can survive a ride with me then I'll go home. Deal?"

I wasn't sure what she was getting at, but I wasn't about to say no to a dare. If I could get this girl, Marisa, to leave the mansion then I might get rewarded with something from either Sakuya or that vampire.

"Fine," I agreed.

"Then hop on so we can do this," she said.

I did exactly I was told. I sat down on the broom behind her, but then I thrusted my pelvis into her butt.

"Hey now…" the girl said, a little confidence leaving her voice. Then I held onto her hips and squeezed. "Hey now!" she exclaimed in shock.

"What? I'm just getting confortable," I said with a smirk. I would have messed with this cocky girl more, but I wanted to get this bet over with.

Once we were both settled on the broom, it suddenly began to rise. I gasped at the impossible feat. Sort of freaking out, I nearly jumped off the broom, but I refused. No way was I going to lose this bet. All I needed to do was to hang on to the cocky witch's hips and I'd be all right. I hoped… We slowly hovered out of the busted window and the bet began.

* * *

We landed in a small clearing in a forest. Laughing my ass off, I got off the broom and ran around the small grassy field like a kid. Not only did I just win the bet, but I had the most fun I ever had since coming to this strange place. The fast flight across the sky reminded me of the open roads on my motorcycle. Oh, the wonderful memories. I'm so glad those memories stuck with me. No longer was I pissed off at the blonde witch. She had done something for me that I was in a desperate need off – she let me have some simple fun.

Marisa, looking a little down, snapped her fingers in disappointment. "Damn…" she muttered. Her smile didn't stay away for long. "Well, it looks like I completely underestimated you. I even did quite a few barrel roles and you only laughed more." I ran up to her, hugged her and lifted her off her broom. "Goodness gracious!" she exclaimed as I spun her around.

"Ah hahahaaa! Damn, that was loads of fun! You have no idea how much I needed that!" I shouted in glee.

"Okay! Okay! Put me down now, please," Marisa softly demanded.

I did as she commanded and sat her back down on her feet. I stared at her with a cocky grin of my own. "Looks like I won the bet," I said.

The girl let out a sigh of defeat, but then formed a smile. "Yeah, I guess so," she said. "But I warn you, next time I'll just do it harder."

I grinned harder. "Oh, please do it as hard as you can," I said, snickering.

Marisa blushed hard. "N-No that's not what I meant! Oh, jeez…" She pulled the brim of her hat over her glowing red face.

" Ah haha! I know what you meant. I'm just messing with ya." I said.

The girl was suddenly grinning again. "Well, you should be careful with who you mess with," she stated. She walked over to her hovering broom and had a seat on it.

"Wait, where you going?" I asked.

"Going home, just as I promised." She hovered higher into the air.

I ran to her, but she was now too high for me to reach. "Well, don't forget me! I need you to take me back to the mansion."

Marisa smirked and narrowed her eyes at me. "I never promised I'd take you home."

I gasped in response. "You wouldn't!"

"You need to learn to navigate the Magical Forest someday. That day may as well be today," the witch said. She raised her witch's hat and waved it. "See ya, champ!" she said before blasting off into the sky at high speeds.

"Nooo! Ah, shit! You gotta be kidding me!" I screamed. I looked around me and saw nothing but forest as far as the eye could see. I let out a disgruntled sigh. "Ah, crap baskets…"

The forest was dark despite it becoming day. It was trees for days in this blasted forest. I couldn't even find some sort of path that would, hopefully, lead me out of the spooky place. I swear, the next time I run into that witch, I'm blistering that behind of hers.

It felt like I had walked for a good hour through the forest. Not even the sight of life was found. I tried to view that as a good thing. Who knows what kinds of monsters lurk through these damnable trees. I kept my eyes peeled and my legs ready to make a full on sprint if I were to run into any sort of creature. If I were to run into anything, I would not hesitate in getting my ass out of there as fast as possible.

I heard it then, movement in the distance. My direction shifted immediately, not wanting to even see whatever it was out in the forest. I decided to quietly make my way away from whatever was making noise, but once I heard a particular sound, I stopped where I was.

Laughter. Laughter of that of a little girl was what I heard. It was a damn lucky find. I could go and find the little girl and see if she knew how to get out of this dark forest. I dashed my way towards the sounds of laughter. The thought that it was a monster playing tricks on me did cross my mind, but I had to take the risk if I wanted to get out of here ever. It wasn't too long by the time I came across the source of the laughter.

It ended up being exactly what the laughing indicated. A little Asian girl was wandering around, picking flowers then throwing them into the air, covering herself in petals. I smiled the second I saw the blissful smile on the kid. She didn't have a care in the world, despite the freaky forest she was wandering in.

I did not hesitate in greeting the little one. "Hey there, sweetheart," I hailed with a wave.

She turned to face me and immediately smiled at me. "Hi…" she said in a hushed voice.

I walked up to her then kneeled down to her level. "Hello. My name is Isaac. What's yours, dear?" I asked.

The girl pushed some flowers over her glowing smile, seemingly being a little shy. "Choko…" she said quietly again.

My desire to escape the forest had actually taken a backseat. I mostly wondered why a small girl was playing in such a dangerous place.

I kept my smile on, being careful as to not scare the girl. "Why is such a cute little girl like you playing around here in this dark place, hm?" I questioned.

The little girl simply smiled harder and bashfully looked away from me. She walked off and returned to picking flowers. She was off in her own little world, not afraid of anything. She made me feel embarrassed of myself. Here I am, scared out of my wits while this three or four year old was as happy as a clam.

I watched as she threw a bundle of flowers into the air before jumping around as they fall down all around her. "Why can't I be like you, hm? Not being afraid of anything and always smiling." The girl paid me no attention and just continued on with her routine of picking flowers then tossing them into the air.

It was at that moment that I decided to just follow and watch over the child as she innocently played. Watching her dance around in the petals was enough to make me smile in content. She made me feel calm in this dark place. She also made me feel safe, and in return for her calming presence, I was going to watch over and protect this little girl. I didn't care what kind of monsters wandered this forest, I wasn't about to let them lay even a single hand on this child. After quite a while of following the little Choko around while she played, I heard someone call out for her.

"Choko! Choko, please answer me!" It was a woman. Maybe Choko had wandered out here into the forest and gotten lost? I honestly didn't even think of that possibility until now.

Little Choko was too busy playing to answer the woman so I decided to in her stead. "Over here!" I shouted into the dark forest.

After a few seconds, a woman appeared out of the dark. But once she laid eyes on me she shrieked in fright.

"Sorry! Sorry for scaring you," I said with a smile. "Is this your little one? I was just following her to make sure-"

"Stay away!" the woman barked. "Stay away from my Choko!" She rushed over to Choko and picked her up, holding onto her for dear life.

My smile vanished in an instant. "What? What's the matter?" I asked, disgruntled. The woman, with Choko in hand, ran off into the forest. "Wait, you got it all wrong!" I yelled as I reached out for them, but they were gone before I knew it. I was totally confused at first, but that confusion was soon replaced with anger. "You're welcome!" I shouted indignantly at the woman.

Why was I getting angry? I knew exactly why the woman freaked out so why am I getting upset over it? Because it hurts… Because I knew why is what made it hurt so much. I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head. The reason why that woman ran tormented me. I knew the reason why she ran away from me yet I was getting angry at her for it. I shouldn't be getting angry at her. She was in the right to have run from me. But here I was, growing angrier every second I stood there.

"You shouldn't be mad at her, you know," someone, as if having read my thoughts, stated.

I turned around to see who had spoken. It was a girl, a girl who I happened to recognize from that party. If I remember correctly, her name was Alice. She was a tall, slender girl with blonde hair that flowed down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a dark blue and she wore a light blue dress with long white sleeves. She had a long pink ribbon going around her neck and another around her waist. Two dolls accompanied her; one sitting on each of her shoulders. The girl was shockingly pretty.

"I know…" I sadly agreed.

"It was nice of you to follow and watch over that child," the girl said.

"Thanks…" I said, still unhappy.

The girl approached until she got within arms-length of me. "We never got to introduce each other at the banquet due to that little stunt you pulled."

Remembering what I did at the party actually put a smile back on my face, but the girl's doll-like expression never changed. She just continued to stare expressionless at me. My smile faded once more.

"My name is Alice Margatroid. It is nice to meet you, newcomer," the girl greeted plainly.

"And my name is Isaac. Nice to meet you too," I said. I held out my hand in order to shake hers, but she simply stood there, never offering me her hand. I dropped my hand with a sigh.

"Hello, Isaac. I was actually following you when you found the girl. You seem to be lost."

"Yeah, a girl named Marisa left me out here." I shook a little from the anger.

Alice let out a short sigh. "So it was that girl's fault. Not too surprising I must say."

"Yeah, I'm going to need to pay her back at some point," I stated.

"Since it was Marisa that left you here, it is my responsibility to lead you out," she proposed.

"Oh, sweet, you will?" I asked, excited.

"Yes," she confirmed. "First we will stop at my home. It is on the way out anyways."

"Sure, as long as it's okay with you."

"It is," she said.

And so, the girl named Alice led me through the forest. I felt great relief now that I had someone who was going to finally get me out of the forest. My only problem with the girl was how expressionless she was. And I thought Sakuya was bad at times. Her unreadable face kept me quiet the entire trip to her home.

We reached a small clearing in the forest and in that clearing sat a small, humble house. I immediately assumed it was Alice's home and decided to comment on it.

"Now that is a nice little place you have there," I said, smiling.

"Thank you," Alice said.

As we got closer, I noticed small little things flying around the house. Once we got even closer, I discovered that the things flying around were like the two dolls that sat on Alice's shoulders. They were cleaning the outside of the house with small cleaning utensils and other such tools. I know that flying was a thing in this place thanks to Marisa, but how were these puppets flying around on their own? I went to ask Alice about it, but she spoke up first.

"Please come in," she offered as she opened the door.

I nodded at her then entered the house first only to discover more dolls flying about and doing odd jobs here and there. I had to admit, I may not know how these dolls work, but they were doing a fine job at keeping the house nice and neat. Alice shut the door behind her then walked passed me, going to what looked like the living room. I followed her.

How these dolls worked was bothering the hell out of me so I inquired Alice about it. "How are these dolls moving about?"

She sat down on a three-person couch, shifting through a stack of books that sat on the small coffee table in front of her. "You must be shocked to see such things," she stated. And she was right.

"Yup, that's pretty much it," I replied.

"To put it as simply as I possibly can, I control them through the use of magic," Alice answered.

I went in stunned silence for a moment before I spoke up. "Magic?" I asked as I struggled to accept that magic existed, but with all I've seen, I may have to force myself to accept that magic is a thing in this strange world.

"Magic," she repeated.

"That girl, Marisa, flew us on her broom. Was that through magic also?" I asked.

"Indeed it was."

I put a hand to my sweaty forehead. "Goodness…" I said in skepticism.

 _Keep an open mind, dude…_

Alice pointed to a door. "You're sweating. Go wash yourself. You look unsightly," she demanded.

I sighed in response. "Yes, ma'am…"

So I went to the room she pointed at and I found it to be the washroom. Straight ahead was the sink and I went to it and began washing my face with water. As I washed up, I took notice of the mirror hanging on the wall. It was a fancy mirror, fancy like pretty much most things in the house. I then noticed the person in the mirror. I let out a disgruntled moan when I looked at the ridiculous uniform he wore. My sight went a little higher to the man's face. I noticed two fangs dipping from underneath his upper lip and I sneered in response. Again, my sight went higher and that's when I saw those wretched eyes. Crimson red they were and the pupils were like that of the devil I'm forced to work for. Anger sprang up in me and I ended up doing something incredibly stupid – I punched the mirror, shattering it to bits.

The owner of the home rushed in. "What happened?!" she exclaimed. She sounded like she had some emotion in her voice for the first time.

All I could do was stare at what was once a mirror. It took a moment to hit me as to what I had done. "Oh my God…" I gasped. I turned my face to Alice. "I am so sorry, Miss. I just… I was…" I could not even explain what had happened. What the hell was going through my mind? "I can't explain why this happened, but I promise you that I will replace your mirror. I promise you," I strongly offered.

Alice nodded. "I see… I won't ask you to explain and I will simply take your offer to replace it."

"Oh, thank you!" I took the girl's hand and shook it. I was so glad that Alice was so understanding.

Alice took her hand back and returned to the living room while I followed her. She picked up a few books from the coffee table and handed them to me. I took them without question.

"Let us get going," she said and I nodded. "I will lead you out of the forest and point you in the right direction to the Scarlet Mansion. You will then return those books back to Miss Patchouli for me."

"Yes, ma'am," I replied.

We took our leave immediately. Alice did exactly what she promised and led me out of that creepy forest. She gave me directions from there and I followed them to the letter. Eventually I arrived at the mansion. It was a tiring trip, but I was finally back. I explained everything to Sakuya and Meiling when I ran into them. Unfortunately, Sakuya forced me to go see that vampire, Remilia, so I could explain why I was gone to her. I did as I was told reluctantly, but the worst that could happen never did happen. I told the vampire that I got the witch, Marisa, to leave the mansion and she was happy with my accomplishment. Sadly, I was given no reward of any kind, only that I was forgiven for leaving the mansion's grounds despite it not being my fault. I was somewhat fine with it. I was just happy to be home.


	13. Chapter 12 Hearts Combined

Another day of the same'o same'o. Not that I've grown to mind it. I settled quite easily into the new type of work I did. It had its moments, both good and bad, but I quite liked learning with Sakuya and doing the things she normally would do herself (let's not kid ourselves with the fairies). I felt a little embarrassed when I would go back and think how I first reacted when I was told I'd be a butler. It really isn't the worst thing in the world. I'm just happy to have a place in this new world called Gensokyo.

Now I have finally brought my strange and frightening dream I've been having to the attention of Sakuya. She immediately insisted that I should go see the vampire. Reluctant to go see the short one, I inquired Sakuya about what she thought in order to delay the inevitable. She ended up telling me that the dream was a very bad omen, whatever that means. I was surprised to how upsetting the Boss Maid looked when I told her about the dream. I mean, it is kind of freaky to be having the same one over and over again, but could it really mean anything? It's just a dream, after all. Not like I can see the future or anything. But seeing Sakuya more bothered about the dream than I was made me want to go to the vampire as she requested, so I did.

Sakuya had already gone to find the vampire for me and had me go wait outside the devil's room. That's when I found myself waiting outside a set of large doors. They were fancy as hell so I knew for sure I had found the dark chambers where the Scarlet Devil slept. Impatiently I waited. Much time had passed and I was beginning to wonder if the vampire was even home in the mansion. After many minutes had gone by, I decided it was best for me to return to work. I took one step to leave, but that's when I got another idea. My wallet may be somewhere in that bedroom, somewhere just waiting for me to find it. I turned my ass around and faced the door. My desire for my wallet to be returned to me filled me up until I felt heavier than usual. Yes, I know I shouldn't enter the vampire's room without her permission, but I wanted my wallet returned to me so badly. You have to forgive me, but the only thing I own in this world is that wallet. The shirt on my back, the pants and shoes, none of those belong to me. They all belonged to the vampire. I deserved to have it back and with that, I slowly pushed open the set of doors.

I poked my head into the bedroom slowly then said a wary "Hello?" No answer, thank God. Was actually afraid there for a moment thinking that maybe that vampire was hiding inside the entire time. But a deathly silent filled the large bedroom. And by large I mean large. It was practically empty inside. All there was was a big magnificent bed with a roof pushed up against the north wall and a vanity desk sitting far off to the left of the bed. There was a door to the far right and I assumed that was the closet. I slowly invited myself in, the doors slowly closing by themselves behind me.

I had to take a deep breath to help calm myself once I realized I had just invaded the vampire's own Sanctuary. It's not something I would normally do, but that wallet was going to be in my possession once again and I was willing to do anything to get it back. Now that I was inside, where should I look first? Was it even in here? I was going to find out.

My first target was to check under the bed. I hastily walked over to the bed, dropped to the floor and looked under. Nothing. It was clean as a whistle under the bed. I pulled myself back up onto my feet and sighed. I didn't really expect that the vampire would simply toss my wallet under her bed, but I had to try looking. I stared at the bed, realizing that, despite being a vampire, she slept like a normal person. Guess I don't have to fear her making me sleep in a coffin later down the line. I looked towards the supposed closet. I already could guess that it was huge in there in order to fit all of her numerous outfits. I'll check that last.

The only other thing in the room besides the bed was that vanity desk. I walked towards it, sizing it up without looking directly into the mirrors. There were drawers to be checked and I started to open them one by one. As expected, I found mostly jewelry. I let out a drawn out sigh before even reaching the final drawer. I wanted my wallet badly, but my confidence in finding it wasn't nearly as strong as my desire for it. With one final drawer to check, I slowly opened it. I inhaled strongly when I saw the center of my desire just lying in there. My wallet; I finally found the damn thing. I picked it up and sighed in great relief. Yes, the fact that I was stealing it away from the vampire did strike me, but I couldn't care at the moment. I finally had what belonged to me back in my hands and that's all that mattered.

I quickly opened the wallet and pulled out my driver's license. The first think I looked for was my name. My _real_ name, that is. I'm sort of used to being called Isaac, but now that I'll know my real name, maybe I can get people to call me that instead. I looked at the name and what I saw struck me in my heart.

"She kept it," I said weakly. "She fucking kept it."

The name on the card… was Isaac. She had kept my name and she never told me. But why? Why would she keep my name and not tell me? I suppose it doesn't matter now, but the thought that she decided to keep my name filled my heart with joy. If only she had told me, maybe things would have been warmer between us. I like to think that, but let's be real… I'd have still been an ass to her and I'm sorry for it.

I stood there in bewilderment, staring at the name of the card, rereading it over and over again just to make sure what I saw was true. Once I was satisfied, I moved my focus to the picture. I got a good look at it and suddenly I felt a strange numbness overtake my body. The man in the picture looked like me, yes, but I had this distinct sense of uneasiness about the man. He… wasn't me. He had my hair style and color, he had my facial features, but he still was not me in any sense. The wallet and driver's license slipped out of my hand and fell to the floor. I looked into the mirror in front of me. Those hellish eyes of the person in the mirror stood out the most as did the fangs dripping down his upper lip. I felt sick all of a sudden. I felt sick because there was a truth that I needed to accept. And that truth was that the person in the mirror… was me. The thing looking back at me was truly me as opposed to the man in the picture on the driver's license.

I reached out at the mirror and touched it, my reflection having a saddened expression. It was so hard to do, but I could no longer deny the thing that I was. That wallet and the driver's license is what brought me to that conclusion. All I could do now was to tell myself that out loud.

"I am a vampire." There. I said it.

It only had to be said because I was the only one denying it. Everyone else knew damn well what I was, specifically that vampire, Remilia. My heart was beginning to hurt now. It took me this long to finally admit it all the while I was acting like a complete ass. I felt terrible. But I nodded to myself in the mirror and reached down to pick up the wallet and the driver's license. I tucked the license back inside the wallet and placed it back from where I had found it. But before I did, I said a short prayer to the man whom this wallet belonged to, a man that had passed on.

With the prayer finished and the wallet back where it belonged I said "Go with God," and closed the drawer. It was done. I now understood who had died and who was born. If only I wasn't so stupid before… Things may have been a bit different for the better. I guess it was fine this way. Better to realize now than never.

But now was the hardest thing I needed to do. There was still something I needed to admit to myself and one other person. I turned around to face that person. It was her, Remilia Scarlet. We both just looked into each other's eyes for the longest time. I fought with myself to say what was needed to be said. Remilia waited patiently for me to say it.

"You don't have to say it now," she said in a soothing voice. "One step at a time, Isaac." I shook my head in response.

I slowly lowered myself down to one knee, my eyes never leaving hers. "And you," I began and Remilia seemed to hold her breath in anticipation. "And you," I said again. "Are my master."

A painful stab in my gut was what followed the confession. It felt like I had just lost, that I had succumbed to defeat. My focus fell to the floor as I stared at it in sadness. I had lost. Even if all I did was speak the truth, I had given up everything that I had ever been or would be. This vampire would be the one to decide those things from now on. But… that's how it's supposed to be, now isn't it? My fate was now fully in Remilia Scarlet's hands and that is how it's meant to be. I… accept that now, now and forever.

Remilia gently placed her hands on either side of my face and lifted my sight up to her. She looked so pleasantly calm and pleased. "At long last," she said. She reached forward and placed a soft kiss on my lips, reddening my cheeks as a consequence. "At long last you come to realize what you are and what our relationship is." Her smile was shining. "I am very proud of you, Isaac." I smiled for the first time in a while, only to frown again. "There's no reason to feel upset. You lost nothing and gained everything by simply admitting what you are and who I am. This was never a game where one of us won and the other loses. We both will know victory thanks to this day. We can finally move forward now."

"I just feel so stupid for not realizing it sooner," I said. "If I could do it all over again I would."

"All that had happened was meant to happen. That you need to trust me on," she stated.

"What now? I suppose I'll be punished for entering your room without permission?" I asked. I dreaded the thought to what she'd do to me.

"I probably should, but that can wait," she said with a smile. "Now's not the time for punishing, but for rewarding."

"Really now?" I asked, amazed.

"Yes. Ask for whatever you want. As long as it's reasonable, that is. It can be whatever little thing that crosses that mind of yours. Don't be afraid to ask."

I was actually astounded. I never expected to hear such a thing from Remilia. What should I ask for? An idea had quickly come to mind, something I've been wanting for a while, but I was a little shy to ask. I quickly grew the confidence and rose to my feet. Looking down at her, I placed my hands on either side of her face, caressing her cheeks softly.

"I want you," I sad with determination.

"Eh?!" the girl exclaimed in surprise. "That's what you want, is it?"

Not even waiting for her answer, I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifted her and brought her over to her bed. I slowly sat her down on the edge of the bed. I was breathing hard, as was she, and we just stared at one another for a few moments before I acted. Holding her cheeks, I leaned forward and kissed her. She kissed back and I pushed my tongue in and dragged it across the roof of her mouth, sending a chill through her body with its cold touch. Her tongue wasted no time in entering my mouth and she tightly wrapped her tongue around mine. We played around with each other's tongue, from wrestling around to sucking the other's tongue. Both our bodies had heated up with the confrontation in our mouths. We broke away as we huffed and puffed, faces red and drooling from the edges of our mouth.

Remilia looked up at me yearning. "I never said you could do that to me, you know," she said.

"I want more than that, Master," I said with bated breath.

Meeting no resistance, my hand went up her shirt and to her belly. It glided around her waist and to her sash behind her. Try as I may to be slow and soft, I hastily undid the sash and eagerly pulled it off, tossing it aside. Remilia said nothing and just watched, breathing heavily from all the anticipation. Now it was time to pull her long skirt off, so I did. I grabbed the bottom of the skirt and pulled gently. Off came her skirt, exposing her gorgeous, slim white legs. What also was exposed was her black, frilly underwear. I stared at them, causing Remilia to cross her legs in response.

"Jeez, don't stare so much. It's embarrassing," she said, sounding a little defenseless.

I pulled her legs apart without much struggle and placed myself between them. I pushed forward, pressing my crotch against hers and closing the distance between us until I felt her breath on my face. I gave her lips a quick lick. She tried to do the same to me, but I backed away slightly, causing her to miss. A pouty expression appeared on her face and I playfully laughed in response. My eyes were now on her chest and I quickly moved in to undo her shirt. Once I undid the shirt, I pulled it open, discovering that Remilia wasn't wearing a bra. Guess she didn't need one. She had let out a small cry when I forcefully opened her shirt, sending a nice chill up my body. Without thinking, I shoved my face between her small breasts, kissing the space between them. She softly cried out again and her body quivered. I was slowly losing myself to the situation. I immediately started sucking on one of her boobs while groping the other one. She moaned and groaned from the pleasurable playing of her breasts. Her nipples were already up at ends before I started messing with them. She placed a hand on the back of my head and gently pressed my head forward in to her chest. She squirmed as I sucked her boobs hard and pulled and nibbled on her nipples with my lips. I played with her nipples some with my tongue, sending more shaking rhythms through her body.

Done with her boobs, I kissed the center of them once again then slowly kissed my way down the center of her belly till I made it to the top of her panties.

"Ooo, what now?" Remilia asked. She appeared to be in a daze from the recent activity, but she continued to yearn with her crimson eyes.

I answered her by grabbing the sides of her panties than dragging them down the length of her legs until they came right off. Now I had her bear pussy in sight. Already it looked wet, but I dove in anyways, giving it a kiss before roughly dragging my tongue up and down the length of her labia. Remilia arched her back and moaned loudly. Her legs wrapped tightly around me, making sure that I wouldn't leave. Her crotch was nice and smooth and I only licked more. I roughly nibbled on her clit then stuck my tongue into her vagina, drilling her. The music I was hearing from the vampire made me keep going on and on. But soon my tongue grew tired and I came to a stop. I stood up and watched Remilia as she slowly caught her breath.

An arm was resting on her forehead, her huffing and puffing slowly dying down. "Ha… You're not bad, I'll give you that. Ha…" she complimented.

Her eyes full of desire, Remilia got up from the bed. She helped me first with taking off my shirt. She kissed up then down my abs before reaching the border of my pants, which she then helped with taking off as well as my underwear. You can probably already guess who was good to go. Remilia looked up at me, her eyes never blinking as she gradually went down on me. We could of just gotten started, but I was not about to turn down a blowjob from my master. The sudden feel of her cold lips enveloping my member sent a pleasant chill up my spine.

"Few… I can already tell you're good at this," I said, but it came out less of a compliment and more patronizing than I intended it to, so, she bit me. "Youch! Sorry! Came out wrong!" I cried out. She started to gently suck as if to heal the slight pain she gave me. And it was working wonders.

I watched her as her head bobbed forward and back. I could feel her tongue on the bottom of my dick, gliding up and down the length of it. She sucked as she pulled away, almost pulling me with her. She was doing it fast and hard which sort of bothered me. I already felt like I was going to blow the moment we started and now she was working hard to make me do just that. Not that I had anything against letting lose in her mouth, but it would be embarrassing to pop so soon. We still haven't gotten to the main course. I wasn't about to let it end now so I stood fast and strong against all attempts by Remilia to set me off. But it felt so good that I didn't think I could hold out much longer, but she came to a stop at the right time.

Wiping the cocky grin she sported of saliva, she jumped, wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. I jerked away the second our lips touched. "Bah! Not after you just sucked me off!" I exclaimed.

Remilia answered with a chuckle. Then her grin went away, her face flushed. "Now it's time…" she said.

Our eyes interlocked, she slowly turned around, our eyes breaking off once she was completely turned around. She bent over her bed, her belly now lying on the soft mattress. She looked back at me over her shoulder. She then spread her legs and presented her butt to me. I knew now how she wanted it and I wasn't going to deny her. I placed a hand on each cheek of her butt and groped them, earning small moans from Remilia. Once I was done playing with her butt, I moved in on her. I mounted her butt, aimed my erect member into her vagina and pushed myself in. The wet warmth of her insides alone nearly made me eject my built up sperm, but, again, I held strong.

"Ah-Haaa!" Remilia arched her back with a loud moan as I slowly spread the walls of her insides. She was tight, as expected from her size, but I was still able to fully enter her smoothly.

I made it as far as I could before speaking. "You alright?"

She looked back at me, eyes a little watery. "Of course I am. Don't think you could hurt me with that thing of yours," she demanded.

"Rude."

And with that, I decided to give her a hard bump. I slowly moved my hips back then thrusted forward hard. She let out a small cry as my waist smacked into her butt. I noticed it was a cry of pleasure, so I did it again, this time with a little more roughness. Another loud cry from her so I did it again, again, and again. Soon she was singing with moans and groans. I kept in rhythm with my thrusts, breathing hard from the warmth building up in my groin region. Remilia bounced up and down each time I smacked into her butt. I tightly squeezed her butt as I roughed her. She had her face buried in her blanket now, trying to quiet the beautiful sounds she was making, but all she did was mumble them. I did think about flipping her over and getting her into a missionary position, but I was quite pleased with doing her from behind. Also, I was just about to finish. I couldn't pound her any faster than I already was without firing off. So, I accepted it was going to end and just kept pounding my master from behind. She was obviously enjoying it, and she was about to enjoy it more.

I picked up the pace, my nether regions getting warmer and warmer. "Sorry, Master, but I'm about to finish," I said.

"Ah, yes! Go ahead and finish in me. Ah!" she said and I quickly obliged.

I tightly squeezed her butt as I unleashed my seed into her, never stopping the pounding until I was completely done. Her moans grew intense at that moment and she arched her back as far as she could as I filled her vagina. A gave her a few more thrusts even after I was finished. I pulled out of her, my limp dick still twitching as did her pussy. We both breathed heavily while sweat poured off our faces. Remilia looked back at me with a heavenly expression.

"That was… wonderfully rough. I may let you do me again like that," she said with a toothy grin.

"Whatever you wish, Master," I responded with a thumbs up. I reached over to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. She returned the kiss by planting one on my lips.

It was done. My master and I had our first moment together that night. We now slept together in her bed for the start of the early morning. But I didn't stay in bed for too long. Once Remilia was out cold, I decided to take a trip outside around the inner walls of the mansion. It was a chilly morning, but I didn't mind it. I was too busy looking back as far as my memory could take me. It has already been a couple months since I came to Gensokyo and that's all the memories I had – not even a year. It was crazy to think that way, but it mattered none. I was a vampire now, a young vampire in service to the older vampire named Remilia Scarlet. We fought a lot due to my stubbornness, but now that I understand what I am, I suspect those arguments to die down some. Not completely, mind you. I still need to keep my master on her toes, after all.

But there's no more to say now. My story of an up and coming vampire is over. What else was there to tell? I'm giving everything that I am to Remilia. She shall be the one to decide my destiny. I am hers till the end of my days. I will be her servant forevermore.


	14. Chapter 13 The Dream Comes Forth

I spent the last couple of hours of my day standing by Remilia's side in her office as she did paper work. I stood on standby waiting for the slightest of requests from my master. It was a pain in the ass, I tell ya. Standing around doing mostly nothing almost lead me to falling asleep standing several times. Got yelled at a few times for it.

That's when I realized I still haven't told Remilia about the weird dream. While in the middle of her work, I finally got her to listen and I told her what I had told Sakuya. She looked intrigued the entire time I told the story as she listened closely.

"And that's about it," I said, finishing the story.

She thought to herself for a few moments before speaking up. "Fascinating…" she said. "I wouldn't have thought for your ability to manifest so early after turning you."

"My what now?" I asked.

"The details are not important right now. We'll have to test it another time," she said, giggling afterward. Her easy going attitude about all this had me worried.

"The only thing I need to know is if this dream is anything to be worried about," I stated.

"Oh, of course, my pet. This green-haired figure is who we need to be cautious about. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your beautiful master now would you?" she said as she gave me a faked baby face.

"Of course not," I answered. "But we have no idea who this green-haired person even is. Is there even someone around here goofy enough to have green hair?"

"You'd be surprised." She finished some administrative documents, stood up and faced me with a serious expression. "I'm about to give you an order you're not going to like."

"Great," I said with the roll of my eyes.

"For any one you see with green hair, I want you… to kill them."

I laughed out loud, but then I noticed her serious expression did not go away in the slightest. "Wait… You can't be real right now," I said, worried.

"Oh, I am being very real right now, my simple servant. We can't take any risks with this dream. We may not know exactly what it's about, but we do know someone with green hair is involved. I promise you, you do not want anything to happen to me just because we ignored the dream's warnings. The loss of your master at such a young age would devastate you in ways you can't possibly imagine," she said.

What she said gave me goosebumps. "Of course I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I just… I mean, come on. Do I really look like someone that can kill another person over a dumb dream?"

Remilia reached up and gently held my face in her hands. "You'd be amazed about the things you would do for me," she said with a smile. She pulled my head down to her, planted a kiss on my lips then pushed me away. "Make sure you pass on the order to Sakuya and tell the fairies to be on alert for anyone with green hair."

"Yes, Master…"

So I did just as I was told to. The fairies would playfully salute me when I told them to be on alert. Not sure if they were taking me serious or not. When I got to Sakuya, on the other hand, she took the order completely serious and without question. It bothered me that she did, but I just took it as her being a better servant than me. Guess I still have a long ways to go.

Before I was to hit the sack, I decided to stand watch as several fairy maids slowly pieced together that window Marisa had smashed through (though, it could have been finished long ago if they themselves would stop breaking it). I encouraged the maids and told them they were doing a good job, boosting their confidence. Despite my tiredness, I actually stood watch of them for a good amount of time. By the time I was satisfied with their work, I decided to go to bed. It was then someone flew in through the hole that was still present in the window. At least this person didn't break anything, unlike that other blonde-haired individual.

The girl landed right in front of me with a blooming smile on her face. The girl had black hair that went to her shoulders and on top of her head sat a small red cap. She wore what looked like a fancy t-shirt and a black skirt that went just above her knees. The large chest on her warrants a mention. On her feet were plain red shoes. What stood out the most was the pair of black bird-like wings on her back.

I'm noticing a trend here; cute girl after cute girl after cute girl. I'm sure as hell not complaining. I'm just plain lucky.

"And there he is!" the girl announced. She pulled out a notepad and a pen from her pockets and got ready to jot down some notes. She then got up in my grill. "What could possibly be the name of the brand spanking new vampire?!"

I cringed a little from all her shouting and backed up some. "Lower the volume, will ya? And if you want my name then you should give me yours first," I asserted.

The girl straightened up and cleared her throat. "How rude of me," she said, her smile never fading. "You may call me Aya Shameimaru, the best reporter of all of Gensokyo."

"Uh-huh," I muttered, unsure with her claim.

Out of nowhere, a second girl entered through the broken window and… damn, was this girl a piece of work. She landed beside Aya the so-called best reporter. On her face was a slight scowl.

"If you're going to drag me somewhere then at least do not leave me behind," the girl said.

Now this girl, this fucking girl, had both white dog ears and a white dog tail. I kid you not. Normally I'd be discouraged to be near who was clearly not a human, but this girl had snatched my heart. Her white hair shined magnificently and she too wore a small red cap on her head, right between those dog ears of hers. She wore a sleeveless shirt, fully exposing her beautiful arms. The shirt fit tightly on her, perfectly revealing the shape and size of her breasts and, god damn, were they the best pair I've seen. Sakuya's boobs had to settle with second place now. On her waist was a black skirt with red flame-like designs reaching up from the bottom of the skirt. The skirt went down all the way to her feet. It may have covered what I bet were a pair of great legs, but the skirt had openings around her waist, showing her smooth hips. My God, if I could just hold onto those erotic hips, I would… Never mind. No need to go into detail. Let's just say she has a sex appeal matching that succubus's, Koakuma. Now the scary part of her was the shield and scimitar she carried on her back. I'm sure she wasn't just carrying them around for show, so I made sure to be careful around her.

I ran up to this girl and quickly introduced myself. "Hello, Miss. Name's Isaac. What's yours?"

The dog girl smiled at me. "Greetings, Isaac. You may call me Momiji Inubashiri. Miss Aya and I come from Youkai Mountain. In case you didn't know, we are tengu," she said.

 _You can be whatever you want, babe! It won't change how much I want you right now._

Aya pouted at Momiji. "Every guy does this when you're around," she uttered.

Momiji glared back at Aya. "Then why do you keep dragging me with you?" she asked.

"It's that damn hip-exposing skirt you wear," Aya accused.

"It's summer and it helps keep me cool!" Momiji defended.

I just sat back and watched the two argue with one another, but they didn't argue for too long and brought their attention to me.

"So your name is Isaac is it? Then why don't you let us on the why's and how's of you coming to our humble little home of Gensokyo?" Aya questioned, her pen and notepad at the ready.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Not much to tell, honestly," I answered.

The bird girl grinned at me. "Now, now. There's no secrets you can hide from Aya. So just tell me everything and make sure you leave no detail out," she insisted.

"Seriously, it's nothing special to write about. Now, let me show you the way out-"

The girl jumped forward, her face only an inch away from my own. "You must be a little shy," she began. "You can tell me. You and the short Scarlet Devil were in the heated act, weren't ya?" she said in a whisper.

I gently pushed her away. "No, we weren't having sex, "I said angrily. "I was dying. She found me. She turned me. Then she brought me here. Happy now?"

"I choose not to believe you!" Aya announced then started jotting in her notepad.

I rolled my eyes. "I don't really care what your write. You can have the master be mad at you."

The hot dog girl slowly pulled out that scimitar of hers, her burning eyes focused on Aya. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was seriously going to do what I thought she was about to do. The second the sword left its sheath, she swung it so fast that I lost sight of it as it was swung. She had sliced down Aya's hand, not hitting a single finger and only cutting the notepad and pen in two. Ink had splattered all over her hands and the two pieces of the notebook. Her expression went from dumbfounded to angrily shocked in a span of a few seconds.

"Ahh how could you!" she shouted.

"Serves you right," Momiji said with a huff as she sheathed her scimitar.

Aya, with a dark expression and what looked like a fan in the shape of a leaf took a confronting pose in front of Momiji. From her pocket she pulled out what looked like nothing but a rectangular card with weird scribbles on it. Momiji answered the silent challenge and pulled her scimitar back out along with what was another card with odd markings. I was interested in seeing how far this would go so I let it happen. It was obvious that Momiji was going to win with that sword of hers, but I wondered what they were going to do with those cards they held. Paper cut each other maybe? Hey, if this fight means the ripping of clothes then I'm all for it.

"So, it's come to this, now hasn't it, Momiji my friend," Aya said as she held that card above her head.

"As it always does, Aya," Momiji said as she too raised her card above her head.

Both girls prepared themselves before yelling strange verses.

"Crossroad Sign "Saruta Cross"!" Aya bellowed.

"Mountain Nomad "Expellee's Canaan"!" Momiji roared.

I'm new to a lot of stuff here in this bizarre world of Gensokyo, but what I witnessed there and then could not compete with everything else that has conspired. What I witnessed was an explosion of brilliant shapes and colors. My entire vision was filled with the wondrous array of colors, enthralling me with astonishment. But the excellent spectacle only lasted a few seconds. A moment after they declared their words, a real explosion erupted, blasting me far down the hallway all the way to the end. I crashed into the wall and landed on the marble floor, bruised and hurt.

"Ahhhrg… Did that really just happen or am I out of my mind again…?" I said as I laid on the floor, staring up at the ceiling.

After a moment, those two girls came running down the hallway towards me. Both were covered in soot, probably from that impossible explosion they somehow created. What were these people? Were they gods?

The girls hovered over me. Momiji had a concerned expression while Aya chuckled softly.

"We're so sorry, Isaac. We got carried away," Momiji said. "Are you okay?"

"Of course he's okay! Vampires have great resilience!" Aya said happily.

I snapped my fingers then pointed at Aya. "Don't speak," I said in a hoarse voice. They both grabbed one of my arms and helped me to my feet. I backed up away from the both of them, feeling sort of terrified after witnessing their impossible feet. "What the hell are you two?" I trembled.

Momiji looked at me confused. "Hmm? I told you. We're tengu."

"What the hell is a tengu? Are they some sort of demigods or something?"

The girls looked at me then looked at each other. They turned back to me, but now they both looked like they were going to burst out laughing. I was about to reach out, grab a boob of theirs and squeeze with all my might.

"You don't know what a spell card is, do ya?" Aya asked.

"That sounds stupid, but I'll take a guess and say those card things are spell cards," I said with a huff. "You two can use ungodly powers like magic?"

"Many people here in Gensokyo can, actually," Momiji informed.

"Yup! Surprised you've not been told that yet considering that they are used to settle fights," Aya stated.

"Are you saying more than a few people can use magic like that?" I asked.

Aya nodded. "Yupo! Even some humans can," she said.

I went wide eyed. "No fucking way!"

"It is true," Momiji said with a nod.

"Oh, man…" I felt nauseous. And I thought only a small amount of people could use simple magic like flying or controlling dolls. If anyone could perform messed up miracles, then I could easily get myself killed, despite me being a vampire. But… But if anyone could do magic to that extent… Could I too? Would I even want to? Maybe I should just to make sure I can defend myself. No idea if I'm even capable of such things. Maybe I should bring this up with Lady Remilia and Sakuya.

I was going to ask the two girls more about spell cards, but one look down the hallway put a tear in my eye. My hallway had gone to shit! That explosion had blasted the walls, seared the ceiling, destroyed the chandeliers and uplifted the marble tiles from the floor. I was mad. Insanely mad. But I was sure Master would have a hissy fit if she were to see the ruined hallway. I'm going to have to somehow fix it up before she finds out and pops my head off.

My face was heated and hurting. "You two nimrods blew it up! Ah, god damn it! Damn you!"

Aya and Momiji looked at me then turned around to see the mess they created. They then turned back around, their faces red from embarrassment.

Aya put on a smile. "Yeah, that's our bad," she shamelessly said.

I grinded my teeth. "Why you little!" My open hands shot forward and latched onto the bird girl's breasts and I began to squeeze the hell out of them.

Her face went a shade darker and panicked from both the pain and the shock. "Oooow! You're going to tear them off! You're going to tear them off!" She thrashed around in her desperate bid to get me to let go.

"You're not squeezing hard enough!" Momiji shouted.

"Fuck off, dog!" Aya yelled.

I turned my angry eyes to Momiji. "You're next!"

She let out a small shriek as she slapped her arms over her boobs, determined not to let me get a hold of them.

One hard shake from Aya and I lost grip of her boobs. "Damn," I said, panting from the amount of exertion I expelled in keeping hold of her.

Aya massaged her pained boobs. "Damn, boy, are you nuts?"

I took a moment to catch my breath before speaking. "Your nipples were up on end," I stated.

"That's not true!" Aya shouted in embarrassment.

"Alright, enough playing around," I started. "You two were obviously not invited so I'm going to have to lead you out or I'll get in trouble. Not that I'm not in trouble already because of you two…"

"We can't leave now! I have many, many questions for you!" Aya complained.

Momiji placed a hand on Aya's shoulder. "We did enter without asking. So let's take our leave. You can ask him your questions another time," she said then turned to me. She gave me a polite bow. "It was nice meeting you Isaac. We are truly sorry for the mess."

I gave the girls a content smile. "It's cool. It was fun meeting the both of you. Now, let's get going and hope we don't run into Lady Remilia or Sakuya," I said.

"Roger that!" the two girls saluted.

I lead the girls to the main hall way. Quite a few of the fairy maids would stick their tongues out at I believe Aya and she would just either stick her own tongue out at them or give them the finger. This girl must have a history with the Scarlet Mansion that I'm not aware of. It was funny, either way. All the while I hit on Momiji as hard as I could. Girl new instantly that I wanted her. Aya would get mad and try to but in on our conversations. The two girls were indeed fun to hang out with. If only I could have gotten them to clean the awful mess they made, things would be completely peachy.

We made it to the main entrance to find that some of the fairies were arguing with what was probably another uninvited person. As I got closer I found it to be completely true.

"Well look who it is," Aya said with another blooming smile. "Miss Sanae Kochiya, how are ya and what brings you here to the Scarlet Mansion?"

"Probably trouble," Momiji commented with a sigh.

The girl in question looked towards us and smiled. She appeared to be a teenager like Marisa. She wore something similar to that of the brown-haired pagan (Reimu, was it?). Maybe she was pagan too? Instead of being a red and white outfit, hers was green and white. She wore brown shoes and white socks that nearly made it to her knees. On her chest was a good set of boobs that could match Sakuya's but lose to Miss Momiji. She sported blue eyes and on her head was long green… fucking… green… hair. God help me.

The green-haired individual pushed the fairies aside and ran up to us. "Hello reporter and guard of Tengu Village!" the girl greeted. She then looked to me and her smile grew larger. "And hello to you too, Mister Vampire. I'm Sanae. It's a pleasure to meet the new vampire of Gensokyo!"

She held out a hand for me to shake in greetings, but what I did then not only scared the shit out of everyone around me, but myself as well. A horrifying shriek echoed from my inhumanly widened mouth. The echo shattered glass windows and chandeliers throughout the hallway. The three girls had leapt in reaction away from me, their hands planted over their ears. The fairies too had leapt in shock and placed their hands over their ears to try and protect their eardrums. A small quake came with the freakish scream.

I slapped a hand over my mouth to get me to stop. The howling came to an end and I instantly started to quiver in fear from my own action. Once I was sure my screaming was at an end, I slowly removed my hand.

"I'm sorry about that…" I said to everyone around me.

Aya hesitantly walked back up to me. "Well, you sure as hell are a vampire, but I don't think we needed confirmation like that, buddy," she said, reeling in from the shock she underwent.

The green-haired girl, Sanae, forced herself to stop shaking then glared at me with a huff. "Now what was that for, Mister? I've come to greet you and see if you're at all a threat to Gensokyo. You just made a bad impression," she said.

"Now, now," Momiji stepped up. "He's a newborn vampire. There's no way he can be any more trouble than you already are, Miss Sanae," she said, holding a stern look.

"I'm obviously not trouble, but you are IN trouble," I said as I pointed at Sanae. "You need to leave now before either Lady Remilia or Sakuya find you. Seriously your life is on the line here."

"What are you talking about?" Sanae asked, befuddled.

"You just need to trust me. You obviously weren't invited anyways so please just leave and stay as far away from the mansion as you can."

Sanae looked to Aya then to Momiji then back to me. At first it didn't seem like she was going to listen, but eventually she came around. "Hmph. Fine. I'll yield for now. But!" she said then pointed and assertive finger at me. "You're going to answer all my questions the next time we meet and we will meet again!" she announced then saw herself out of the mansion.

I let out a big sigh. "That was close."

Momiji shoulder bumped me, as did Aya. "Mind filling us in?" Aya asked, a new notebook and pen shaking fiercely in her hands. This girl would probably kill for answers to her questions.

"I don't even know what the hell, so I can't give you any answers even if I wanted to. For now, you two need to leave. Make sure to get permission first before entering the mansion, please," I said.

"Aww, you're being boring," Aya said.

Before I could get Aya and Momiji to leave, Sakuya showed up.

"And what do you think you are doing here, tengu?" Sakuya's words were directed primarily at Aya.

Aya grinned. "Just interrogating your master's new childe. I can see by his looks as to why she turned him, but there's certainly other reasons and I'm here to find out what those reasons are."

Sakuya pulled out some knives from the holster around her thigh. Shit just got real. "So you are the one who made Isaac scream like that," she said, prepared for a fight.

Aya nervously jumped back. "No, no! That would have been the priestess from the mountain."

"It is true, Miss Sakuya," Momiji stated.

Sakuya raised an eyebrow. "She was here?"

"Yes," I said. "And… she had green hair."

"I'm aware that she does, Isaac. Did you manage to get her to leave without a fight?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"That is good, but you're going to have to inform Lady Remilia about this incursion."

"I will," I said with a sigh.

Sakuya looked to Aya and Momiji. "I must ask you two to leave immediately. Now's not a good time for visitors."

Aya went to interject, but Momiji beat her to it. "That we will, Miss Sakuya," she said.

"Just one question, please!" Aya begged.

"We're going," Momiji said as she began to drag Aya to the doors. She looked to me with a smile. "It was nice meeting you, Isaac. Take care."

"You too," I responded happily.

Aya and Momiji finally left and I was left angry about the green-haired girl named Sanae. I didn't like her, and it wasn't my choice not to. I just felt this hatefulness inside the pit of my stomach when I saw her hair. She could probably dye her hair another color and I wouldn't have a single problem with her. I felt bad for her. It was only because of that damned dream that I have to be mean to her. I obviously couldn't do what Lady Remilia had ordered me to. So, I did the next best thing and had her leave and hopefully she won't come back. I doubt it's that easy though…


	15. Chapter 14 To New Places

Sakuya and I went immediately to Lady Remilia to tell her about the green-haired individual by the name of Sanae. It had to be a coincident that the girl had green hair because I saw nothing threatening about her. Remilia didn't seem all too concerned, but she did give Sakuya and I an order. That order was to go to her home and spy on her. I take that back; Sakuya was to lead me to that girl's home and I had to spy on her. Since when did I go from being a butler to a damn secret agent? Lady Remilia must have been fucking with me again. But why should I complain? This would be the first time (not counting the time I got lost in the woods and the transporting of books between the library and Alice's place) I've been outside the mansion's walls ever since I got to Gensokyo.

So, Sakuya lead me to a mountain by the name of Youkai Mountain. It was a long trip there by foot, but it was good exercise. We made our way up the mountain and came to a village called Tengu Village. Going by the name, I made the educated guess that this was where Aya and Momiji came from. The place was bustling with life. What I assumed were other tengu were walking around from place to place doing their business. Buildings were everywhere as far as the eye could see, each one filling a certain roll in the village. Finally I have gone someplace for the first time I've been to this world. It was such a relief to get out for once. I was going to take the time to walk around and visit the many stores I saw just at the entrance to the village, but someone stopped me to remind me why I was there.

"The path to the Shrine at the top of the mountain continues beyond the village," Sakuya said.

I stopped admiring the village to turn to Sakuya. "You know what, Sakuya?"

"No, we are not hanging around the village," Sakuya said, shooting down my enthusiasm.

I got upset. "Oh, come on. You gotta let me relax here. I need my freedom every once in a while and I'm sure you do to. Let's just chill for a little bit," I said.

"Absolutely not," Sakuya said, keeping her eyes peeled for what I would guess for any green-haired people. I'm seriously beginning to wish I never brought up that dream. "We need to take your dream serious. When you or Lady Remilia have recurrent dreams, they sometimes have meaning."

"Sometimes," I repeated her own word.

"Either way, we have our orders from Master. Let us follow them as she demands."

I let out a drawn out sigh. "You're killing me here…" An idea then popped into being. "Well, a green-haired person just went into that building," I said.

Sakuya turned around, face completely serious. "Let's go and question them."

"Alright," I said, but when Sakuya fast walked her way to the non-existence person with green hair, I turned my ass around and walked the other way.

Quickly I made my way down the main street, marveling at all the architecture. I picked a random building and dove inside in order to hide. I'm sure Sakuya is pissed and looking for me right about now. I'm sorry to ditch her, but I really needed my space.

The building I went into ended up being a bar. An empty bar. Perfect place to try and relax. I went up to the counter and had a seat on one of the stools. The bartender came out from the back room. In his hand was a glass cup that he was cleaning like any typical bartender would. The dude sported long hair and a beard. He didn't have any of the features of the other tengu I've seen. Not that it mattered.

"Hey there," I greeted. "You open?"

"I sure am, young man. What can I do for you?" the bartender asked.

"Nothing, I'm afraid. Don't got a cent on me," I said in regret. "Just needed a place to get away from someone."

"Understandable," he said with a nod. "You don't look like a tengu. You look like something else."

"I could say the same about you. I'm a vampire as you probably have already guessed, but what are you? You don't sport the same stuff as these other tengu."

"That's because I'm a human," he, to my surprise, said. He held out a hand to me. "Joshua."

"Isaac," I said as I took his hand. We shook hands in formal greeting.

"Since you're new here to Gensokyo, why don't you talk to me about your stay so far?"

Again, I was surprised, and a little suspicious. "How you know if I was new here?"

"Intuition." He gave me a bullshit answer, but I didn't question him on it because of what he gave me: a nice cold beer. "It's on the house."

And so we talked and boy, did we talk. I told him practically everything that had happened since I got here to Gensokyo. Joshua was a good listener. He didn't interrupt me or anything. He saved his questions till I was finished. And I did answer his questions to the best to my abilities. The guy was strangely easy to talk to and being around him was quite calming. I went to ask about him and why a human was working in a non-human village among other things, but he blocked me out and told me to visit him again to get the answers. He gave me a second beer to drink before I left.

Watching out for Sakuya, I visited a more lively building. I made my way into the crowded building, dodging people left and right, before finding tables placed everywhere. At first guess, it looked like some sort of restaurant so I helped myself to an empty seat and sat myself down.

Relaxing my legs after the long walk up the mountain, I casually looked about the room, watching as people served and were served. The place was loud, but my eyes grew heavy, exhausted from the day's work. I may have managed to fall asleep in that chair if not for a pretty waitress poking at my shoulder.

I snapped back up in my seat and turned to the girl. "Sup?"

The girl gave me a cute smile, her big boobs catching my eye first. "Wakey, wakey, sir. How about something to eat before going to sleep?" she said, pencil in one hand and a notepad in the other.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just came in to relax. Is that okay?" I asked.

"For you, handsome, it'll be just fine," the girl said with a wink. I'm already liking her. "Of course, if you want company you can always ask for me." She leans in closer to my ear, her sweet perfume waking me up completely. "I've never asked to be bought before, but I just have to with you." Her cheeks were red as roses.

I raised an eyebrow. "Buy you? What do you mean, exactly?"

The girl giggled. "Honey, you're in a brothel," she said.

"Oh…? OH! Well, I… I didn't realize that. I'm sorry," I said with my head bowed down.

The girl laughed, her jugs bouncing up and down as she did. "Hon, I realized that the second you came in. You're obviously not from around here," she said and laughed some more, making me feel a little embarrassed. "I take it you're here because you're running from someone."

I was shocked by how accurate she was with her guess. "Yes, actually, but how'd you know?"

"Hon, everyone who comes here is running from someone. Normally it's from a girlfriend or wife or ex."

"I see…" I said. "Well, I am running from a girl, but for entirely different reasons."

"Stalker?"

"Demanding co-worker," I said.

"Would that be her?" she asked, pointing at the entrance to the brothel.

I looked to where she was pointing and wouldn't you know it? It was Sakuya. Somehow she managed to pick the right building to find me. Boss Maid managed to spot me and, with an angry expression, walked up to me.

I turned to the waitress with a sigh. "Yup… That's her…"

"Then I'll leave you two be," the waitress said. Before she left, she placed a kiss on my cheek. "Make sure you visit again. I'll be waiting," she said with an engrossing smile then left.

I waved and smiled at the waitress as she left. But when I turned in front of me, I found an angry woman staring back at me with her arms crossed in front of her. She just stood there glaring at me, making me feel small.

"That wasn't funny," Sakuya said.

"It wasn't meant to be…" I said quietly.

"You need to take your dream seriously. I mean it, Isaac."

"I told you I know. I just wanted some free time to myself for once is all."

"I know you do, but now is not the time." She reached a hand out to me. "Now, let us get going. Once we make it to the other side of the village, I will be staying behind for you to do your part."

I took her hand and she helped me to my feet. "Yes, ma'am…"

And so we continued our trek across the village. When we made it to the other side, Sakuya gave me the simple directions of "follow this path" and thus I did exactly that. The trek was yet another long one, but the forest around me was a beautiful sight. As much a pain as my orders were, this did beat working in the mansion constantly. It's about time I got to do something new. I just wish it was a more reasonable order. I'm not even sure what exactly I'm supposed to do. Spy? Spy on what exactly? What kind of information am I supposed to gather? I didn't know, but I was going to make an honest attempt at finding out something.

On the way up the mountain path, I started to realize that I was being followed. At least I thought I was. Glancing over my shoulder revealed a short girl with a strange, light-brown wide-brimmed hat. The hat, for whatever reason, seemed to have two frog-like eyes on top of it. She wore a purple dress with frog print designs on it (girl likes her frogs). Large white sleeves were stitched onto the torso. She had medium length blond hair and what looked like grey eyes. On her legs was a pair of white knee-highs and on her feet were black shoes. I'm sure the girl just so happened to be using the same path as I was, but I couldn't scrape the feeling that she was following me.

Doing my best to ignore the girl, I continued my way up the mountain, hoping I would come about my destination soon so I could do my odd job and be done with it. If I finished quickly to Sakuya's satisfaction, maybe she would hang out with me at the village for a little bit. Again, I could only hope.

"You going my way, friend?" the girl suddenly spoke up.

I stopped where I was then turned to the girl, spotting a bold grin on her face. "I'm not sure. Does this place lead to one destination?" I asked.

The girl smiled as she approached me. "It sure does."

"Then I guess I am."

"You may call me Suwako Moriya. What's your name, boy?" she stated as she handed out a hand.

I took her hand and we shook in greeting. "Isaac," I answered.

"Ooo, nice name you got. That vampire has good taste in names."

"You know who my master is?" I asked, surprise.

"I've already heard about you, Isaac. Heard a lot of things actually," Suwako said with a mischievous chuckle.

Girl seemed a little strange at first impression. "Uh-huh… Am I that well known now?"

"You bet'cha! Being the new childe of that vampire will have that affect. You'll get used to it so don't sweat it," she said as she gave me a hard pat on the back. "Now tell me why such a nice young man is heading to my humble home?"

 _Well shit… cover blown already…_

"Uh… Nothing much. Just… Just wandering around. Seeing what sights there are to see. I'm new here, after all," I blatantly lied.

"Suuure," the girl said as she embraced my arm, looking up at me with those surprisingly pretty eyes. "Why don't I take you to our home? Though…" Suwako suddenly started to nervously bite on her thumb nail. " _That_ woman is home… I'm afraid what she would try to do to you."

I laughed. "I've been through a lot of shit already. Nothing this woman can do to me that can be half as bad."

"But I can't let her! You're mine now, right?" she said.

I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. "Heh… Yeah sure. Whatever you say," I said.

She wiped her brow. "Phew! Glad we got that settled already. Most young people these days are so stingy when it comes to relationships. Glad ours was settled in five seconds," she said with a laugh.

And I laughed right along with her. "Damn right!"

Suwako ran on forward. "Follow me, lover! The shrine ain't too far up," she declared.

I ran close behind as she lead me to whatever this shrine was. As I did, I noticed her dress was rather tight around her waist. I could actually see the outline of her butt. Made me wonder what kind of panties she was wearing, if any. She was a bold one either way. That's when I noticed the eyes on her hat were looking straight at me.

 _What the fuck? How did they turn around?_

Suwako snickered to herself suddenly. "Naughty boy."

I instantly blushed. Did she just read my mind? No, that's not possible. She was just messing with me, that's all. That, or that stupid hat of hers was getting to me. Either way, I tried to ignore the hat and just concentrate on following the girl.

Now that she was leading me to her place, my job had practically failed. Then again, maybe this would be a simpler way to see if that green-haired girl, Sanae, was up to no good. That would assume she was even home. If not, I could settle with questioning Suwako and whoever this other woman was. I wasn't actually looking forward to this, but I wanted to try my best, for Lady Remilia.

After several minutes we finally made it to what indeed appeared to be a shrine. At least on the outside it did. Suwako raced to the front door and slid it open. She beckoned me to enter.

"Hurry! Get your butt in here. Don't be shy," she said as she urged me on.

I shrugged my shoulders and did as I was asked. I entered the shrine to discover that it looked like an ordinary home inside. It was a nice place too. The mansion puts this place to shame, but it was a humble place. I would sort of prefer a place like this instead of the giant mansion that takes ages to navigate.

Suwako walked over to a table and took a seat on the floor in front of it. She signaled me to take a seat next to her so I did. "You like it?" she asked.

"Yeah, nice little place you got here," I replied.

"Good!" She turned around her, facing a doorway that lead further back. "Sanae! Get your butt out here!" she yelled.

"Coming!" a girl answered. From that backroom appeared that green-haired girl, Sanae.

Once she spotted me, she pointed a tense finger at me. "You!" she loudly announced, her face as tight as can be.

Again, I felt that utter dislike swelling up in my chest. I tried telling myself that there was no reason as of yet to hate the girl. She did nothing wrong so I shouldn't be getting angry, but here I was, face heated and fists tightened to the point where my nails were about to puncture my skin.

"Woah! What is up with this sudden atmosphere?" Suwako asked. She was understandably confused.

"Why are you here? You here to harm us?" Sanae asked. She looked like she was prepared for a fight.

"No," I said. "Just came to check out your crib is all so settle down. You're putting me on edge here."

"I'm so glad you two are getting along so well," Suwako happily said.

Suddenly, a woman stepped out from the back room. "Alright, alright. What's going on out here," she said.

Now this woman was a treat. The woman sported poofy blue hair and dark red eyes. She wore a long black skirt with an elaborate red shirt that had long white sleeves. On her chest was an odd round mirror. She was someone I would be glad to meet. Her strong presence seemed to calm my nerves.

The woman looked at me and grinned. "Well who do we have here? Looks like Sanae brought home herself a winner," she said.

"Wrong!" Suwako wrapped herself around my arm. "I found him, thus he is mine. He even said so," she said then stuck her tongue out at the woman.

"Of course we were just joking around," I hastily said.

"Hmph… I see." The woman stared at me intensely as if she was waiting for something from me. That stare frightened the words out of me.

"I'm Isaac. Nice to meet you," I quickly greeted. Sweat was now pouring off me.

The woman smiled, the air becoming less tense. She took a seat at the table with me and Suwako "I'm Kanako Yasaka, god of this here shrine," she said and I just burst out a laugh. It was rude of me, but I couldn't help it.

"Oh come on now. A god? I was born not long ago, but it wasn't yesterday," I said, unable to wipe the smirk off my face. I mean, sure, there's fantastical creatures in this world, I get that, but gods? I can't even begin to believe that.

A devilish grin formed on Miss Kanako's face. "I like you already, newborn vampire," she said.

I shivered a little. "You know of me too?" I asked.

"You shouldn't be surprised," Suwako said. "Also, I'm a god as well. Ain't that cool?!"

"Sanae. Get the new stuff we just imported. We're going to have a long chat with this young man here," Miss Kanako said.

"Actually, I'm just here to ask a few questions and those questions are for Miss Sanae," I said.

"Oh? Well, I'll answer your questions if you answer mine," Sanae said.

"If I must," I said tiredly.

"What does Miss Remilia have planned for you?" she asked.

"I'm just her servant. That's all," I answered.

"Yeah, right. Hee hee," Suwako said as she playfully wiggled my ear.

"That's the truth," I said irritably. "You can believe it or not. I don't care."

"You're not aware are you, young man?" Kanako asked.

"Aware of what? What are you talking about?" I asked, frustrated.

"You being created tipped the delicate balance of power we have here in Gensokyo." Kanako stated. "You tipped the balance to your master's benefit."

I shook my head. "I don't understand. How on earth could I do anything like that? I can't do diddly squat. Some people I've met have the ability to blast me to the damn moon."

"Maybe not now, but later you could become quite powerful. A power that's under the control of the Scarlet Vampire. There are plenty of people who don't agree with her creating a new vampire, you know," she said.

"I don't know, but I do know now why someone would want to harm my master," I said, anger swelling up with me. "I'm sorry to say, but I have reasons to believe that Sanae might be someone like that."

"What?! I wouldn't!" Sanae angrily stated. "I would only exterminate her if I absolutely needed to."

Suwako shook her head, troubled. "Sanae, go get the whisky before you say something stupid again," she ordered and Sanae, with a huff, did what she was told.

Miss Kanako stretched her back. "Let's forget all about that for now and just talk about nicer things," she said.

"Yeah, the air is getting muggy in here with all this serious talk," Suwako said.

Sanae reappeared with a big bottle of whisky and with some shot glasses. My heart swelled up in delight while at the same time I felt a sting in my chest. I was once a big drinker, but that stopped when I was reborn as a vampire. At least I thought it had stopped. When a shot glass was presented to me, I swiftly took it and eagerly waited for Miss Kanako to pour me a glass. Once she was finished pouring, I instantly drank the shot. Kanako wasn't too happy.

"Now calm your horses there, my friend. We all are going to take a shot together in welcome to our new resident here in Gensokyo," she said.

I felt a little embarrassed. Only a little. "Sorry, it's just been so long."

She poured me a second glass and this time I waited. Once we all had our drinks ready, they wished me a happy stay in Gensokyo then we all drank our shots all at once. Kanako, Suwako and I continued to drink while Sanae served us. They questioned me about many, many things and I just answered to the best I could. I questioned them back, seeing if they had any ill-will towards Lady Remilia, but they didn't seem to, thankfully. Just made me think that my dream was only just a dream and it wasn't something to worry about. By the end of it, Sakuya had arrived to see if I was alright and all she did was find me drunk as was Kanako. We had challenged each other to a drinking contest at some point. We both lost. Sakuya dragged me home, but I was able to tell her about my stay at the Mountain Shrine. I told her what I learned and what I thought about it. She seemed rather pleased with my findings. It took us so long to get back home that I had practically sobered up. And what was waiting for me once we got home? More work…


	16. Chapter 15 Fates Collide

Sakuya and I told Lady Remilia about our trip to the top of Youkai Mountain and what we accomplished. I may have not done exactly what I was told, but the master ended up being happy with us. No killing of anyone was necessary and I'm thankful to God for that. We do know now that there are people out there that are actually unhappy with Lady Remilia embracing me. She didn't seem too surprised to hear about it, but I was. There's nothing I can possibly do to tip the balance or whatever in any way, shape or form. It's just paranoia by the sounds of it.

Days later, Lady Remilia lead Sakuya and I through the mansion. Apparently it was time for some _training_. Now we know how this will turn out. At least this time she's given me some fair warning instead of just throwing me into it. I might actually learn something normally for once. We followed Lady Remilia closely as we came to our destination. It was a small, dark room with a single round table and two chairs on either side of it. Arm wrestling with the master? Hey, any kind of wrestling with her is always fun.

Lady Remilia sat down in one of the chairs then gestured me to sit in the other. Sakuya took her place on the side, waiting idly for any orders. I sat casually in the chair, not expecting anything out of the ordinary. I was more afraid of being taken to the dungeon and being forced to kill one of the prisoners. Thank God that didn't happen. Instead, the master just stared back at me with a smirk. Kinda freaked me out.

I got tired with all the staring and silence. "Well? We going to do this training or what?" I asked.

She giggled with glee. "Oh, yes, my pet. I'm just wondering if you are ready for this task I have planned for you or not," she said.

I let out a big sigh. "Well, I have no clue what it is so I couldn't tell you. I suppose only you can tell me if I am or not," I said.

She got serious all of a sudden. I hate when she does that. "This test will be your hardest one yet. It could change everything, Isaac."

"God damn it, master, you're turning me into a nervous wreck. Just tell me what I need to do and I'll do what I can to accomplish it."

"I like your enthusiasm," she said with a sharp smile.

"This is not enthusiasm. Not one bit," I corrected nervously.

That's when Remilia pulled out something from her pocket. I couldn't believe what it was for a moment. She sat it down on the table then pulled out the ammo that went with it. It was a weapon, a six shot revolver to be exact.

"Good lord, what do you plan to do with that? If you want me to shoot myself in the head, know that I am already aware that it won't kill me," I stated.

The silly girl placed one bullet into one of the six chambers, loaded it, spun the cylinder, took aim off to the side and fired it. A loud bang followed, causing both Sakuya and I to jump. A strange purplish line had come out of the barrel of the gun in an instant, striking the wall and leaving a purple flame at the point of contact. I don't know what she was thinking, but all she managed to do was nearly cost me to piss myself.

I was now officially mad. I put my fist down on the table. "What the hell is the matter with you? Have you gone nutters?" I demanded an answer.

She wasn't listening to me. Instead she loaded up a second bullet, spun the cylinder, pointed the gun at my chest and fired. All the gun did was make a clicking sound this time, but it was enough to make me jump out of my seat, fall backwards and tumble to the floor. I quickly got up, mad as hell.

"Are you seriously trying to kill me?! Are you mad?!" I shouted.

"Stop being so loud," Lady Remilia demanded. "An ordinary bullet couldn't possibly be enough to pierce your heart so stop being a baby and sit back down."

I unhappily did as I was told. "What are you trying to say?" I asked.

"Like I said, an ordinary gun is useless against us vampires, but this gun… This gun is a special gun. Isn't that right, Sakuya?"

"Y-Yes, M-Milady…" Sakuya answered, her words awfully shaky.

I looked up at Sakuya, noticing that she herself had become a nervous wreck. Her face was so red and sweating. I've never seen her this way before. What on earth is her history with this revolver?

Remilia loaded up a third bullet into the revolver and spun the cylinder. "This gun has powerful enchantments all over it. They greatly empower the bullets the gun fires. A bullet from this gun would eat your heart right up. It was designed to kill creatures like us, Isaac," she informed.

I could only grow more angrier. "And you shot a bullet from this gun at my chest? What the fuck?"

Lady Remilia did nothing but smile back at me as if there was not a single thing wrong. "Don't worry, little one. I'll protect you," she said in a snarky tone. "Now it's your turn to protect me." She slid the revolver to the center of the table, in reach of me.

I took the gun and looked at it then back at Remilia. "You want me to-"

"I want you to shoot me, yes. Aim for my heart, if you would, please."

I was stunned. I was stunned silent. All I did was stare at her as if she was some kind of idiot. And she was some kind of idiot, one whose desire I was not about to fulfill. I slid the gun back to her.

"No," I said. "No way am I going to fire such a dangerous gun at you."

She replied with nothing but a sigh. "Fine…" She then did the totally unexpected. She took the gun then pointed it straight at her heart.

I leapt out of my seat as I reached out to Remilia. "Don't!" Sakuya and I shouted.

A click sound echoed in the room, leaving behind a deafening silence. Sakuya and I just stood there, gazing at Lady Remilia. She just sat there without a care in the world while Sakuya and I were on the brink of passing out from all the shock. I was about two seconds away from strangling the short girl.

Now exhausted, I fell down into my seat, face and palms sweaty. "I'm about to flip this table," I warned.

Remilia unloaded the bullets she had in the cylinder, leaving only one in it. She spun the cylinder and slid the gun to me again. I reluctantly took the gun. "Let's play a game of Russian roulette," she said.

"Now I know you're nuts," I said, breathing heavily as I stared at the gun in my hand.

"The one who dies loses. The one to live wins. Simple, yes?"

"What are you thinking, Master? You want one of us to die? You told me that it would devastate me if you died. Why the hell are we doing this?"

"Yes, me dying would be bad news for you. So if you don't want that to happen, then you better protect me with your power. I'll make sure to do the same for you, my servant."

I raised an eyebrow. "My power? God damn it, will you just tell me instead of putting both of us in danger?"

"I demand you to shoot yourself, Isaac," Remilia ordered.

I felt it. That oppressing force on my chest, that sting in my heart. She was using her bullshit trick on me again. She hadn't needed to in a while, but now, of all times, she decides to use it against me. I was beginning to hate her all over again.

With my hand quivering, the order resonating in my mind forced me to take the revolver and point the barrel directly over my beating heart. My finger rested over the trigger. Try as I might to resist the order, I did nothing but make myself sick, more sick than I was over this stupid game Remilia was forcing me to play. I couldn't take it, so in order to relieve myself of this painful grip on my mind, I did the unthinkable and pulled the trigger. I jumped a little in fright, but all that was heard was a click.

The horrid grip was undone. My will was mine again. I realized that I wasn't breathing and began gasping for air. Upset, I tossed the revolver to Remilia. It didn't take her two seconds for her to spin the cylinder then shoot at herself. Another click, another taste of madness. With each clicking sound I heard, a piece of my sanity was chiseled away. I could only guess that Remilia had already gave into the insanity of this game.

With some sanity slipping away from me, I laughed as I took the gun that was tossed to me. "This is fucking incredible. One of us is about to die a morons death." I pointed the barrel at my chest and struggled to pull the trigger. But after a few seconds I managed to pull it, bursting out laughing when yet another click was heard. I was totally losing it. The gun went back to Remilia, another click, another bizarre laugh from me.

Poor Sakuya was on the verge of collapsing. I don't know who was sweating more, me or her. "Please, Milady… That's enough," she said hoarsely.

"Nah, let's keep going. Let's see how long it takes for one of us to shoot ourselves," I said, obviously out of my mind.

This vile roulette game went on and on. Each sound of a click seemed to bury me further and further into a hole of madness and despair. Each rotation of the cylinder spun my mind inside my skull. I soon felt the intense wait for a bang was what was going to put me down for good. But soon this game of insanity was going to come to an end. Once Lady Remilia was finally satisfied, she called for the game to end.

Lady Remilia took one final shot into her chest and the sound of a click echoed its final time. She placed the gun down on the table and smiled back at me. "It is done. You did better than what I expected," she said. "I'm excited how fast your powers have developed."

I was now reeling in from the craziness that was that horrid game of Russian roulette. "May I go back to my room now?" I said exhaustively. I was almost about to beg to go back.

"Soon you will understand the power you inherited from me, Isaac. All you need is patience," she said soothingly. She stood up out of her chair and picked up the revolver and the ammo for it. She strolled up to me then handed them to me. "Keep it. Until more of your powers awaken, you will need some form of protection."

I looked up at her then down at the gun and bullets in her hands. Hesitantly I look them. I fully loaded the revolver then placed it in the back of my pants. "Protection does sound good, but I hope I won't need to use it."

Lady Remilia mischievously smiled. She then reached down and placed her lips on mine, her tongue quickly entering my mouth and licking my tongue. She pulled away, giggling.

"Woah, what was that for?" I asked, blushing heavily.

"You and Sakuya need to loosen up. It was only training, after all," she stated.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, training where one of us could have died."

"Oh, don't be such a tight ass. Fate decided we would not die today," she said. She then headed towards the door. "You two follow me. We need to go someplace so you two can calm down some."

Sakuya and I looked at each other, both of us wondering what the master had in mind. I got up out of my seat and Sakuya and I followed as instructed. We left the room and made our way to wherever Lady Remilia was leading us.

No one said a word as we made our way through the mansion and, once again, the silence was killing me so I decided to speak up. "What do you have planned for us now, Master?" I asked.

"Apparently the training took a lot out of the both of you so we need a place so you can unwind," she said.

"And what are we going to be doing?"

"We're going to have sex. And by we, I mean you and Sakuya."

I immediately began to chock and gag on my own saliva. I gasped for air as I tried to speak. "You're… You're messing with us, a-aren't you?" I asked.

"I am not," she said and my face just flared right up.

I took a peek at Sakuya, seeing that she had the same expression she always does when she's waiting patiently; relaxed and plain. Was she really going to go through with it without any sort of opinion on the matter? I get how quick she is to follow orders, but this would be a good time to speak up about this particular order.

We came to a door and Lady Remilia opened it. "We're here!" she gleefully announced.

We entered what appeared to be some sort of rec type room. There was a piano in the middle of the room and a couple of chessboards off to the side. Remilia took me by the hand and lead me to the piano. Once we got there, she spun the chair around, facing it away from the piano. She sat me down on the chair then curled a finger at Sakuya, inviting her to come over. Sakuya answered the call without hesitation and came over to us. Remilia then grabbed both of my arms and pulled them behind me, keeping me stuck in place and preventing me from escaping. As if I was going to escape or something. Yeah right.

Sakuya stood in front of me, looking down at me with yearning eyes. Her hands slowly made their way up her skirt and to the sides of her hips. I was able to see her black string panties at this point. I wanted to pull them off her, but Lady Remilia kept me from being able to touch Sakuya. She undid the strings of her panties, letting them gracefully fall to the floor. Her skirt also fell back into place, to my dismay, preventing me from seeing her crotch. I wanted to see if the carpet matched the drapes, damn it.

With her chest puffed out, Sakuya undid the buttons to her shirt then pulled it open, her boobs popping out in a large display. She pulled her bra up, allowing her tits to pour out. Her boobs bounced some once being freed, my eyes going up and down with them. She climbed up onto my lap and sat herself down. I tried to put my face in between her breasts, but Lady Remilia still had a strong hold on my arms, disallowing me from moving. That's when Sakuya wrapped her arms around my shoulders and hugged me, my face being buried in her boobs. I quickly gave the center of her breasts a kiss and a lick, sending a shiver of delight up her back. She leaned back before puffing out her chest, her right boob right in reach of my mouth. I did not hesitate in enveloping the boob with my mouth as much as I could. I sucked hard, earning a moan from the Boss Maid. My hands would have been roughing with her breasts so hard right now if only it wasn't for Lady Remilia holding them back. At first I didn't care, but now I was finding it to be quite annoying.

My mouth went all over Sakuya's breasts, sucking and licking them to her pleasure. I got a giggle out of her by gently licking the underside of her boobs. That's when she suddenly grabbed the sides of my head and forced me into a kiss with her. Our mouths wide opened, we roughly fought each other with our tongues. Our tongues wrapped around each other and pulled, slapped against one another and bit each other's tongues with our lips. It was a rough make out session to say the least.

Once we were done sucking face, Sakuya hopped off me and got on her knees. She quickly unzipped my pants and yanked my throbbing dick out. No time was wasted between her pulling my member out and her mouth enveloping it. Her head hastily went up and down, making me squirm in pleasure. I liked what was happening, but I felt a little embarrassed that my master was watching the whole thing. I could hear her giggling behind me and licking her lips every once in a while. But that little embarrassment was nothing at all until I realized that we had company. Standing at the door was a bunch of fairy maids! All of them were red faced. Some were looking on in shock, others in horny interest and some just liked the show they came across. Truly embarrassed now, I quickly brought the peeping toms to Lady Remilia's attention.

"Master! You forgot to shut the door!" I proclaimed.

And the master did nothing but snicker devilishly. "Let the fairies watch," she said.

With Remilia obviously not caring, I then brought it to Sakuya's attention. "Sakuya! Did you hear what I just said?" I asked.

Sakuya looked up at me with my member still in her mouth. She looked angry with me for some odd reason. She sucked hard with a slurp sound as she pulled my dick out of her drooling mouth. "Am I not doing a good enough job, Isaac?" she asked.

"Of course you are," I answered the strange question.

"If the fairies distract you, then I'm going to have to try something else," she said.

She got up off her knees and back onto her feet. She turned her back to me then lifted her skirt, showing me her sweet ass. My dick could not possibly get any harder. She then slowly went to sit down on my lap. The tip of my dick hit between her labia, causing her to force herself down. She moaned as my dick penetrated into her vagina, the warmth and wetness of it causing me to let out a sigh of delight. Her butt sat on my lap, my member now completely encompassed by her insides. But Sakuya didn't stop there. Once she was ready, she lifted her butt up then dropped it back down on my lap with a slap. She did it again and again then got into a confortable motion before she was set into a perfect rhythm. The warmth of her vagina was something else and getting to stare at her ass as it went up and down in front of me was a great bonus. The warmth in my member was also slowly growing.

"Oooh… Ha… Ha… There," Sakuya said with a moan. "Now you don't have to worry… Ah… about the fairies. Ah… Ha."

"Phew… You could say that," I said.

Lady Remilia then spoke up. "Ooo, isn't it nice, Sakuya?"

"Ah, yes, Milady. Ah…" Sakuya answered.

"Be quick. I want a taste of him," Lady Remilia said.

Sakuya picked up the pace, her butt slapping against my lap over and over again. "Ah! Ah! Yes, Master! Ah! Ha! Oooh!"

She increased in speed only pushed me to the edge that much quicker. "Ah, Sakuya. I'm about to cum," I warned.

"Ahhh! I already am!" Sakuya exclaimed.

And she was right. I could feel the walls of her vagina pulsating around my dick. I thought I was about to blow then and there, but, once she was finished cumming, she stood back up, my dick slipping out of her. She stepped to the side to allow Remilia to get in front of me. She dropped to her knees, grabbed my member and started rubbing it. With no strength to hold back and the tip of my dick aimed directly at her open mouth, I unleashed everything I built up. The first shot landed directly in the back of Remilia's throat while the next three shots landed on the length of her tongue. Once I was finished, all that I released was now sitting in Remilia's mouth. With a single gulp, she, to my astonishment, swallowed it all.

Remilia licked her lips, smiling happily. "Mmm, pretty tasty!" Breathing heavily, I went to stand up, but she shoved me back down. "Hold your horses. You're still ready to go," she said before flicking the tip of my still harden member.

I winced in pain. "Ow! Jeezus!"

"You're going to have to take care of this before you can get back to work," she stated. "And Sakuya is still willing to help you with that. Isn't that right, Sakuya?"

Her face still flushed from her bouncing on my lap, she bowed to her. "Yes, Milady," she said.

Lady Remilia smiled. "Good!" She reached down for my hand and grabbed it before yanking me up to my feet. "Now, Sakuya, you know what to do," she said.

"Yes, Master," Sakuya said with yet another bow. With her ambiguous order given, she turned around to face the piano. She then bent over it, her stomach lying on the top of the piano. She lifted her skirt over her waist, exposing her butt to me again. She spread her legs and poked her butt up at me.

With a lack of patience, I quickly placed my hands on her ass and squeezed, earning a small moan from Sakuya. I rubbed my hands all over her butt cheeks, squeezing them here and there. I did this for only a short time because I wanted to get started quickly. I took my dick, aimed at her pussy and was just about to penetrate her before I was stopped by Lady Remilia.

"No," Remilia said. "I want you to fuck her in the butt." She grabbed hold of me and pulled me down until she could reach my ears with her lips. "She likes it there the most," she whispered.

My body jittered in joy from hearing the news. I was surprised to hear the request, but I wasn't about to say no. Remilia spread Sakuya's butt cheeks for me and edged me on with her yearning eyes. So I aimed for Sakuya's butthole instead, pressing my tip up against it. I struggled to penetrate at first, but with enough force I was able to make it in. I pushed forward, my dick sliding further and further inside her butt. She moaned the entire time I pushed myself into her, all the way until my dick was completely swallowed up by her butthole.

I didn't get the chance to breathe once I got all the way into Sakuya before Remilia was behind me and forcing me to move my hips. I pulled back then shoved forward with Sakuya unable to hold back any of her moans and groans. Remilia had really gotten into it. She was obviously enjoying using me to fuck Sakuya. I tried to get into my own rhythm, but that wasn't happening with Lady Remilia's insistence in helping me. She forced me into rough motions as if trying to get Sakuya to moan as loudly as she could. And she was moaning pretty loudly. Each thrust I made would make Sakuya moan seductively. Each time I pulled back she would groan soothingly. I pounded my hips against her butt in order to hear more of those beautiful sounds.

With Sakuya's tight butthole constricting my dick every time I pulled away (as if to keep me from leaving) my groin area would grow warmer and warmer. I was breathing hard, trying my best to hold back, but, again, Lady Remilia was dying for me to finish inside Sakuya's butt. And so I ended up doing just that. My dick twitched and started to release everything I had built up right into Sakuya's insides.

Sakuya arched her back with a great moan. "Ooohhh! I can feel your warm cum spilling in my ass! Ooohhh, yes!"

"Ah, this was great," I said as I finished releasing my sperm.

Once I was finished, I slowly pulled myself out of Sakuya's behind. My limp dick fell out with a string of cum still connected to the tip of my dick and her butthole. I cleaned myself up then sighed.

"Phew… We should do that more often," I said.

"Maybe as an award," Remilia said with a giggle, her face flushed.

Sakuya put her panties back on then stood up straight, immediately waiting for a new order from the master. She looked to me with a smile, her face still red from the ordeal. "Having your warmth in my butt will make for a good work day," she said then giggled, making me blush harder than I already was.

Today was a weird one. First that agonizing game of Russian roulette then sex with Sakuya (damn finally). I wish I could have understood the nature of the Russian roulette. What exactly was that supposed to prove? What sort of power does Lady Remilia insist I have? More questions tossed onto the ever growing pile. The only thing I can do is put my trust into my master and hope she knows what she is doing. If anything, at least I got a pretty cool gun out of it. Let's just hope I never need to use it. If I need to use it to defend my master and friends, I will not hesitate at all.


	17. Chapter 16 Dreams Darken

Darkness. I could feel a terrible darkness as I slept. It was cold, colder than the deadliest of winters. I struggled to open my eyes, but, painfully, I managed to force them open. I was greeted to even more darkness. But I was not alone. All around me in a circle were crosses with people nailed to them. Remilia Scarlet, my master, was among them. The rest were hard to make out, but I could hear their suffering as clearly as I heard Remilia's. There was another cross in the center of the circle with yet another person nailed to it. She too was blurred from my vision, but her weeping was clear as day. But there was something particular about the cross that I wouldn't expect to see in such a dark world. The girl in the center had been nailed with three shining nails; two for her hands and one for the feet. They were the only source of light in this frigid place. I was in that dream again, I knew that well. There was one person missing from my sight though. I looked around in search of it. Then I felt it; a horrid chill crawling under my skin. I whipped around to find the being that was torturing my master and all the others. Again her green hair was perfectly clear while the rest of her was blurred in my vision. Who was this terrible person and why was she bringing so much agony to my master and the others? That answer eluded me as the creature let out a dark laugh. It was then that my vision slowly began to darken, leaving me in total darkness once again, with only that hideous laugh to torment my ears. The laugh died down, leaving me to slumber in piece once again.

* * *

That frightening dream left me feeling more determined in my work than ever before. I worked hard to get things done so I could spend time with Meiling. She's been training my body in order for me to be able to defend myself if the time comes. I also had plans to see Patchouli, who was training my mind. I needed to get stronger at all costs. That dream was feeling more real each time I had it. It was always there in the back of my mind no matter what I was doing, tormenting me. I cannot allow anything to happen to Lady Remilia or anyone else that I've grown to care about. But can I grow strong enough to do that before it's too late? Yet another question that haunted me.

It was a cloudy morning, allowing me to be outside without being smacked over the head by the sun's cruel rays of light. I was outside the mansion's walls with Meiling. We were sparring with one another. I wasn't doing too bad, but I was still getting my ass whooped by the much more experienced Meiling.

Meiling threw a jab at my face. I caught her fist with my left hand then countered with my right, punching her in the face.

I smiled at my ability to land a hit on her. "Gotch'a- guh!" She caught me off guard and retaliated. She threw her knee forward, smashing me in the gut.

"Don't let your guard down!" Meiling ordered.

She went into a spinning kick, catching me in the side and sending me flying into the walls of the mansion. My face bounced off the wall and I fell to the ground. She didn't let up and went to stomp me into the ground. I hastily rolled out of the way then jumped back up to my feet, but I was too slow and she struck me in the face with a downward punch, sending me tumbling backward. I caught myself before I fell to the ground, but she made sure I'd go back to the ground with a jump-kick. She hit me square in the chest, sending me flying off my feet and to the ground. I laid there on my back, huffing and puffing.

Meiling looked down at me with a beautiful smile on her face. "You're good with your arms and hands, but you're too slow on your feet. You're getting better at responding to attacks and you managed to even get off a counter on me," she said.

She helps me back up onto my feet. I shook my head to get rid of the dizziness. "And you're pretty much unbeatable with how fast you are. I can barely follow you," I said, a little despondent.

"And that is what we need to work on," she said with hardy nod. "You have eyes of a vampire. We need to work on developing them."

"How?" I asked.

"Like this!" Meiling happily declared. Then suddenly I was smashed in the right cheek, sending me into a spin. I slowly came to a stop, face to face with her once again.

My head spun as did my vision. When the spinning finally came to a halt, I glared at Meiling. I have no idea what it is that she did. I did not see her move at all. "What… did you do?" I asked, still shaking from the unforeseen blow to the face.

"I kicked you!" she said with a cute smile.

I was taken aback. "There's no way you kicked me. You didn't move," I said.

"You didn't see me move. You need to pay strong attention to what is in front of you if you want to see everything that happens," she said.

"That's ridiculou-" Another strike to my face, this time in my left cheek. I spun on my toes then came to a stop, dizzy. My face hurt. A lot.

"Did you see it that time?"

"Of course not!" I yelled. "How the hell am I supposed to defend myself against something I can't see?"

"Focus your eyes!" she shouted.

I saw it then. It was a blur, but I did see it. It was enough for my reactions to kick in. I took a step backwards, watching as the quick blur blew across my face. Whatever the blur was, I had managed to avoid it.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

"You did it!" Meiling happily announced. "We just need to keep doing that over and over again until your eyes become more accustomed to fast moving attacks."

"Ain't there a less painful way to do this? Gah!" Another kick to the face that I couldn't see.

"Nope!" she said innocently.

I rubbed my pained cheeks. "Man, and I thought learning about magic with Patchouli was difficult," I stated. "I want to learn HOW to use magic. I could care less about the details behind it."

"That's just how it is, Isaac. You need to learn those details behind magic if you ever want to use magic."

"I understand, but… it's going to take forever."

"You can't expect to grow strong overnight," she said as she patted me on the head. "You're still pretty young for a vampire."

"It's just that damn dream… It's been getting to me."

"Don't worry, Isaac! From now on, I will beat up anyone with green hair. I promise!" Meiling declared.

I laughed. "Thanks, Meiling. I didn't believe in that dream at first, but now… Now I wonder," I said.

"Is it getting worse?" she asked.

"It sure is," I answered. "Are you able to use things called spell cards?"

"Yup! You want to see one?"

"I do," I said with a nod.

"Then I shall show you!" she said excitedly. Meiling pulled out one of those strange spell cards and held it above her head. "Colorful Sign "Colorful Light Wind Chime"!" she declared.

The card burnt up in a multi-colored flame. A strange energy was released and entered Meiling. She glowed a rainbow color before going into a spin. She spun rapidly, a string of different colors spinning all around her. I needed to take several steps back in order to avoid being hit by the tornado of brilliant colors. She then stopped abruptly, her spinning coming to an end, along with the colorful twister. It seemed to be a short spell, but one whose power could easily be felt. It was a beautiful display, but I knew damn well that I wouldn't ever want to be hit by that spell. Would probably get shredded to pieces.

Meiling let out a short huff then looked to me with another smile. "Did you like it?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was really cool. I'm starting to realize that the type of spell card is rather unique to the person," I said.

Meiling nodded heartedly. "That's right! It's what makes spell cards special."

"I want to make one right now."

"Sorry, but that's Miss Patchouli's job for now. Once she helps you make some, I can help you make melee combat focused ones," she said.

"Yeah, I get that. Just wish she didn't complain about my tattoos. Keeps saying she feels something strange from them. Koakuma doesn't so Patchouli is just being weird," I said.

"Ooh! I never got to see them! Let me see!" she said excitedly before coming over to me and grabbing my shirt.

"Hold up! Hold up!" I shouted, but Meiling had pulled off my shirt before I had the chance to stop her. So, I stood there shirtless while she stared at my abs.

"Nice!" she complemented with a thumbs up. She ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She than pressed her face up against my abs and giggled. "Gosh, these feel real nice. Hee hee!"

"I am a little bashful, you know," I said, face a little heated.

She pulled her face away then began to trace her finger around my abs then up to my pecs. "You shouldn't be. You should be proud of them."

"I am. I thank the guy I once was for working hard to get these."

Meiling then smirked at me before licking her lips. "I got an idea," she said.

"What is it?"

"Do you want to do it?" she asked.

My face flared up. "Really? You want to?" I said and I got a seductive nod from her. I grinned. "Well, I sure as hell ain't about to say no."

And with that, Meiling shoved me to the ground. She hopped on top of me and immediately placed her lips over mine. She sucked my lips fast and hard, making it difficult to kiss back. I tried to slip my tongue into her mouth, but she beat me to it. Her tongue glided the underside of my own as if she was trying to tickle it. She grabbed a hold of my tongue with her lips and sucked on it. I was completely under the control of this feisty woman. I didn't know just how rough she could be. She was so into it that she forgot that we were right there in front of the front gates.

Meiling took a hand and shoved it down my paints making me jump in surprise when she grabbed hold of my member.

"Woah, there! Don't surprise attack me," I said as I got more worked up.

She giggled as her hand massaged my member, enlarging it. "I saw you and Sakuya do it and I've been wanting to do it ever since," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, of course. Everyone in the mansion probably knows now that I think about it," I said.

"Probably," she said with a cute smile.

Meiling scooted herself onto my legs then unzipped my pants, pulling my dick out afterwards. She licked her lips in anticipation then went down on me. I shivered in delight from the touch of her mouth enveloping my member. She didn't waste anytime in getting started and she was bobbing her head up and down as quickly as she could. She slobbered all over my dick with her tongue and sucked hard, almost taking the skin off. I sat up then placed a hand over the top of Meiling's head and helped her keep up the motion. While she continued to suck me off, I reached down to her shirt and pulled it and her bra up over her breasts. They did a bounce as they popped out and began to sway while she blew me. Her uniform completely betrayed how big her breasts were. They were bigger than Sakuya's! With both my hands, I reached down and started to play with her breasts, massaging and squeezing them to my fun and hers.

She gave my dick one suck as she pulled it out of her mouth. Looking up at me with those pristine eyes, she started licking the underside of my dick. "Do you like my boobs?" she asked.

I nodded. "I sure do. You need to wear tighter shirts to show how awesomely big they are," I said.

She chuckled. "No can do. I need the room for fighting," she said.

"That makes sense."

Meiling finished licking my dick then stood up. She pulled down her paints and white thong then stepped out of them. She looked down at my member and licked her lips once again. She squatted down over my member until my tip was poking her pussy. She then grabbed hold of my dick and practically shoved it into herself.

"Ah!" she cried out.

With a little drool running down her chin, she looked at me with seductive eyes then started to move her hips up and down. Again, she had no patience and was hopping up and down my dick as quick as she could. Her moans put me into a calming state of mind so I just sat there as she rode me.

"Oooo," she moaned, her cheeks a rosy red. "This must have been how Sakuya felt when she was riding you. Ahh…" she said.

"I suppose so," I replied before nibbling on her nipples.

"Ah! I'm about to cum!" Meiling exclaimed.

"Woah, that was quick!" I mentioned.

Meiling slowed down in preference for heavy bumps against my waist. One bump, two bumps, a third then a fourth. She finished with a fifth and was now panting with drool rolling off the edge of her lip. We sat there while she caught her breath.

"Ahh, that was good…" she said, breathing heavily.

"Hey, now. We're just getting started," I said with a smirk.

She returned my smirk with a smirk of her own. "Of course we are."

She stood up slowly, letting my still erect dick slip out of her. She reached a hand to me and I took it. She helped me up and took me to the mansion's walls. She pressed her back against the wall and curled a finger at my in inviting motion. I went to her as she asked. Already knowing what she wanted, I lifted one of her legs up around my arm then pushed forward. She moaned as I slowly pushed myself inside her.

I began moving my hips slowly at first then sped up into a confortable rhythm. We locked lips and tongues while I pounded her up against the walls of the mansion. Her moans vibrated through our lips, keeping them on the low side so no one would hear us from the mansion. It was already embarrassing to be seen by the fairies when I was with Sakuya, they don't need to see me with Meiling this time. That's when she broke lips with me and groaned out loud.

"Ahhh! This is so much fun!" Meiling shouted as she panted with her tongue sticking out.

I panicked, afraid someone heard her. "I'm happy for you, but please don't yell," I said in a hushed voice.

She giggled then moaned loudly once again. "Haa! Haa!… Why hold back when in the heat of the moment?" she said. She then reached behind me with both hands and grabbed hold of my ass. She was now forcing me to move my hips harder and faster. "Oooo I think I'm going to cum again!"

I thought I was going to make her cum, but she pushed me away at the last second. She twirled around and bent over with her hands on the mansion walls.

"Do me from behind next!" Meiling insisted.

"As you wish," I said without hesitation.

Once she stuck her butt out at me and spread her legs, I mounted her then steadied my dick in front of her pussy. Once I was ready, I penetrated her nice and hard, causing her to let out a loud moan. The warmth of her insides had its own uniqueness that was different from Sakuya and Remilia. It was just as great while being a little different. My member was warming up just from the warm walls of her vagina. The walls of her vagina constricted around my member as it went in and out of her. I was mere moments from cumming.

I gave Meiling a slap on the ass. "Ah!" she cried out in pleasure. I then sped up my pounding against her butt. "Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

I could feel the pressure building in my member, so I let Meiling know. "Ah, I'm going to cum."

"Ah! Pull out! I want to suck it all out!"

With no hesitation whatsoever, I pull my dick out of Meiling, allowing her to quickly turn around and get on her knees in front of me. She immediately wrapped her mouth around my dick and bobbed her head back and forth as quickly as she could, all the while she played with herself. I had enough and started releasing all the built up semen into her mouth. She looked up at me with eyes looking for approval as my dick twitched in her mouth. She got her answer with one look at my face. Once I was finished cumming in her mouth, she pulled back, letting my limp member slip out of her mouth. She swallowed everything I gave her without stalling then smiled at me with seductive eyes.

"That tasted good. Wish you had more to offer me," she said.

"There's always next time," I said with a grin.

I fixed myself up while Meiling put her pants back on. Then it hit me, a strong pain in the back of my head. It stung something fierce and sent my vision into a spin. Then that dark dream came into sight as if I was dreaming it while awake. The dark laugh pierced my ears and those shining nails blinded me. I nearly fell to the ground, but I was caught by Meiling.

"Woah, there, Isaac. Are you okay?" she asked, clearly worried.

I roughly shook my head, desperate to get that vision out of my head. "Yeah, I think I'm alright," I said as I slowly recovered and was able to stand on my own. "It was that dream… No, vision. It just suddenly popped up."

Meiling just gave me a pouty face. "The only thing you should be thinking about is what we just did together," she said.

"I know, that's my bad," I said, ashamed.

She giggled. "I was only kidding. But for real that is what you should be thinking about instead of that awful dream. Especially if all it will do is knock you off your feet." She began to do some stretches. Apparently we're going to be continuing on with my training. "Well, hurry up and start stretching. Just because we stopped to have sex doesn't mean we'll stop the training for the day. We still need to hone your physical skills."

"Of course!" I said as I got to stretching as quickly as possible.

We continued training until the sun decided to come out. During the training, all I could think of was that vision. It was becoming more real with each dream I had of it. I was afraid there wasn't much time left until something happened and that I'd be caught off guard. I'm so weak right now. Can I become strong before something happens?


	18. Chapter 17 Shatter Shadows

A day of grind has already been set in motion. I spent a good deal of time traveling between the library, Voile, and the home of Alice. Delivering books was my task and I got this task from when I had accidently broke Alice's bathroom mirror. You'd think my debt would have been paid off by now, but no. A good amount of time later and I was still exchanging books between Patchouli and Alice. This one time on my way back to the mansion, Marisa had jumped me and stole the books I was carrying. Patchouli lectured me hard on being more careful as if I stood any sort of chance against a proficient magic user. Fighting back was made more difficult since I can't fly like Marisa can. Other than that one time, my travels between Alice's home and the mansion were uneventful.

Carrying a set of books from Alice, I made my way through the mansion and towards the oversized library. My legs burned from the trip, but I pushed myself to finish the job. I got to my destination and traveled down the middle of the library to where Patchouli normally was. This was going to be my last delivery for the day thankfully. Once I was finished, it would be time to study with Patchouli and learn all about the magical world of magic. I was so excited to spend the next few hours reading nonstop. Not.

I made it to my destination and sat the books down on the table where Patchouli was reading (as she always is). I dropped the books down hard in front of her in an attempt to scare her, but she kept on reading as if I wasn't even there. I sighed in defeat then sat myself down beside her.

"What did you two do before I came around? In regards to getting books from each other, I mean," I asked.

A few moments passed before Patchouli answered me. "Alice would travel here herself or Koakuma would do the deliveries, of course," she answered then turned the page in her book. "It's convenient to have you do it."

"I do have other responsibilities, you know," I said, leaning back in the chair into a stretch.

"I do know. Such as reading the history of magic," she said as she gave me a short, stern glance.

I groaned miserably. "Oh, God, can't we just skip that part and go on to actually learning the art? If I could at least throw a fireball or something then I wouldn't have to worry about getting ambushed by Marisa as much," I said.

"We will be getting to that sooner than you think." Patchouli closed her current book, sat it down then picked up one of the books I had brought and started to read out of it. "Which is why I want you to start meditating on your own and not just with Meiling."

I groaned miserably once again. "You gotta be kidding me," I said.

"I'm not. You need to get better at clearing your mind. That's very important in the use of magic. Right now your mind is all over the place. That's a hazard just waiting to happen," she said.

I let out a sigh and threw my hands up in defeat. "Alright. I get it. If it's a part of performing magic then I'll do it. It's just that-"

"You're impatient," Patchouli interjected.

"I have my reasons though," I argued.

"It's because of that dream, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered with a nod.

"Still no excuse," she stated and I just rolled my eyes at her. She closed her book then stood up in front of me. "Stand up," she told me. I did as I was told and stood up. She then lifted my shirt, exposing my belly. "It's these marking that we should be worried about."

I face-palmed. "Not this shit again." I pushed my shirt back down. "I've told you a dozen times that they're just tattoos," I said.

"There's something about them. I can feel it. I can feel some kind of pull coming from them."

"You're the only one who thinks that. Even Lady Remilia said she senses nothing from them."

"If these are just tattoos then you chose a very odd set of shapes. The shapes remind me of some kind of runic spell, an enchantment. They are even set up around your belly and back to be one. I find it hard to be just a coincidence," she said with a concerned expression.

"Patchouli, I got these tattoos before coming to Gensokyo. It's okay. Just chill," I said, trying to dissuade her.

Patchouli lifted my shirt again and just stared at my belly for some time. "We're going to run a test," she suddenly said.

"Oh, good Lord…" I mumbled, distraught.

"If this is some sort of enchantment then I'm going to break it," she said.

"And how are you going to do that?" I wondered.

"I'm going to need Koakuma for this," she said. She then glared at me, making me shudder a little. "Let me make something clear… We're not doing this for fun. This is simply a fast and efficient way to break an enchantment that's been put on somebody. Understand?"

"I… don't, actually. What exactly are we going to do?" I asked, confused.

It was then that Koakuma showed up from the depths of the library.

"Hello, Lady Patchouli and Isaac!" Koakuma greeted. She faced me. "How's the studying going?"

"Actually, I have some need of you, Koakuma. We're going to perform a spell," Patchouli said.

"Of course," Koakuma said with glee. "What shall be the spell?"

"We're going to see if those tattoos one Isaac are an enchantment that can be broken," Patchouli said.

Koakuma went wide-eyed for a moment as her cheeks went pink. She then narrowed her seductive eyes at me. "Oh, I see what spell you're talking about. I would love to participate," she said before licking her lips.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oookay, now you're scaring me. What are we going to do?" I asked.

Koakuma ran over to me and quickly took off my shirt then lead me to one of the tables. She helped me onto it and she had me lay right down with hands at my sides.

"Well?" I said. Patchouli then pulled out a marker and started to write little symbols over top of my tattoos. "That better not be a permanent marker," I warned.

"We're going to perform a ritual that involves sex," Patchouli said.

Out of nowhere I had this sudden urge to participate in whatever spell Patchouli was setting up. Hadn't the bloodiest idea as to why.

"Well, I be damned," I said, a wide smile on my face. "Could of told me that from the get go."

Patchouli growled angrily at me. "I told you that this is not for fun. This ritual is simple, but it can still fail easily," she said.

"We can do this as many times as needed, baby," I said with a snarky tone.

"I am to be performing the verbal component. Koakuma will be your partner."

I was a little worried about having sex with Koakuma because she was a succubus, but I tossed that worry to the wind. A sense of danger would just make the sex that more enjoyable I think.

Koakuma pulled her tight skirt up, revealing her black thong. She pushed her thong down her legs and stepped out of them, all the while she licked her lips in anticipation. Patchouli stood in front of her then crouched down till she was faced to face with Koakuma's bear crotch. She then took her marker and started to scribble some symbols directly above the succubus's clit. Koakuma giggled from the marker's touch.

Patchouli stood back up once she was finished. "Okay, now get started. We'll make this quick," she said.

Koakuma giggled seductively. "We'll do this part my way," she said as she glared into my eyes. I quivered in eagerness.

Koakuma climbed up onto the table and got over top of me. Thing was, her gorgeous butt was sat directly on my chest, making it hard to breath. She then leaned forward, her butt getting right up in my face.

She looked back at me with a yearning expression. "I hope you're good, Isaac," she said.

At first I didn't understand, and it was dumb of me not to, but I figured it out quickly. Not only was her butt in front of my face, but so was her glories pussy. I licked my own lips first before diving in. I stuck my tongue out then gently dragged it up the length of her pussy. The girl's body tightened up from the pleasurable touch of my tongue. I then dragged my tongue back down the length of her pussy, earning a shiver from her. I licked up and down Koakuma's crotch and she started to moan beautifully. The smoothness of her labia was a good taste and the vibrations from her body felt nice on the tongue. My tongue reached her clit and I decided to wiggle my tongue all over it. She embraced herself as she moaned deeply, as if to try and stop herself from shaking so much. But that's when I slid my tongue in between her labia and into her vagina. She jumped a little from the penetration and groaned loudly.

"Oooo, that's it! Lick me out!" she exclaimed.

I did as I was told and started to lick her out. That's when Koakuma unzipped my pants and pulled out my member. She licked all over it roughly, sending jolts of pleasure up my body. The wet sensation was incredible. It made it difficult for me to eat her out because all my muscles tightened up. My dick suddenly slid into her mouth and she started to suck it real hard. It almost hurt! I let out a small gasp from the sudden wetness enveloping my member. The feeling of her tongue gliding up and down the length of my member made me quiver. Suppressing my own urge to let out a groan, I continued licking Koakuma's insides. She herself continued to moan and groan even with my dick taking up the space in her mouth. The vibrations from her moaning reached my dick, adding to the pleasure. I plunged the full length of my tongue into her pussy and started to drill her. That's when she pulled my dick out of her mouth with an audible pop.

"Ah! I'm gonna cum!" she cried out.

And fast I drilled her. It was good she was about to cum because my tongue was getting tired. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to keep it up. Koakuma moaned loudly, but that was when I was suddenly smacked across the forehead.

I reeled my tongue back into my mouth then shouted, "Ow! God damn!" I looked to my right to see Patchouli staring down at me with angry eyes. "What was that for?" I asked.

Koakuma, huffing and puffing, looked back at the two of us. "Oh, I was so close. Why'd you stop him?" she asked.

"Stop making me repeat myself. This isn't for fun," Patchouli loudly stated. "You both need to cum at the same time in order for this to work." She glared at Koakuma. "You know this already."

Koakuma smiled then bonked herself on the head. "Oopsy. I forgot," she said with a giggle.

"Now stop fooling around and get started," Patchouli demanded.

With the demand given, Koakuma nodded in compliance then turned herself around so that she was facing me. She got up on her feet then hovered her pussy right above the tip of my dick. Giggling at me, she teased me for a bit. I gave her a pouty face and that's when she finally gave it to me. She squatted down onto my dick, the warm wetness of her pussy slowly enveloping me. She moaned as her insides spread open to accommodate my member. Once I was fully inside her, she immediately started on lifting herself back up then falling back down onto my waist. She did this again and again until she was in a confortable rhythm. Every time she dropped herself back down on me she would let out a deep moan. She started to do it so hard that a puff of air would blow out of me.

"Easy, there," I said, but I was ignored.

Koakuma was in her own world, going fast and wild only to slow down and smoothly ride me. In the mean time I was starting to feel a peculiar sensation. One that didn't involve my member. It started out as a soft poke in the abs. Strangely enough, the pokes were where each of those runes Patchouli had drawn on me. But those pokes soon turned into a stab, a stab that then turned into a burning touch. Things were going from great to bad real quick.

"Ah, wha- what is happening?" I asked, my question going to the boss of this strange ritual.

"Ah, you must be feeling the effects of the ritual," Patchouli said. "The runes are beginning to be fueled by the sexual energies between the two of you. You might start to feel some strong sensations as the runes are activated."

"Might? I am! And it's beginning to burn," I said, distraught.

"You're a man right? Hold out until you both cum together. It's what you want, after all, right?" she said with an evil grin.

"Oh, you bitch. You tricked me into this… Argh! It's really beginning to burn!" I shouted. It started to feel like I was being touched with hot lead. It was painful enough that I couldn't even focus on the sex.

"Koakuma, stop this. You must be in pain too, right?" I asked. But I didn't need an answer going by the look on her face.

"Haa haa. No, no, not at all. Ah, this feels great for me. Ah, yes. Real great!" she said.

I gritted my teeth. "Damn it, girl."

I lifted myself up and went to push Koakuma off me, but I got distracted by her tail suddenly expanding in length. It wrapped around me tightly then slammed be back down onto the table.

"What the hell?!"

I glared at the succubus to notice her eyes were glowing scarlet red. She smiled at me. "Oooo, not until I'm finished. Even if you were on literal fire I wouldn't stop," she said as she picked up the speed in riding me.

I thrashed around trying to break out of her tail's hold. "Guh! It feels like my insides are aflame!"

And I meant it. It felt like there was something of mine inside of me that was on fire. It wasn't anything physical either. It felt like my literal soul was beginning to burn up. And as I burned, Koakuma kept on fucking me. I could just barely feel the pleasure of being rode by the damn maniac amongst the heat and pain. Thankfully this torture was about to be over.

Huffing and puffing, Koakuma sped up more, her pussy clashing with my waste. "Ah! I'm about to cum!"

"So am I!" I exclaimed.

I raised my waist skyward in a bid to slam against the ends of Koakuma's vagina. She loudly moaned as we came together. The scorching pain didn't stop me from releasing all I had all over the insides of the girl. That's when it happened. The white-hot runes all over my abs shattered like glass. That's when I felt the great relief of being released from the pain. I dropped my waist down and Koakuma toppled over me. Staring at each other, we breathed heavily in each other's face in silence for a moment.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" she said with a big smile.

And all I could do was stare angrily at her. "Get off me."

She formed a pouty face at me. "Oh, don't hate me. Hate Lady Patchouli," she said as she hopped off me.

I sat up and stared intensely at Patchouli. "Well? Did you finally get what you wanted?" I asked, not caring for an answer.

Patchouli came over to me and observed the tattoos on my abs. She sighed. "No enchantment was broken… Meaning…"

"Meaning there was none even to begin with," I stated. "I went through that pain all for nothing."

"But I let you have sex with my familiar so fair is fair," she said with a huff.

"It totally wasn't worth it!" I shouted.

"Hey, now…" Koakuma said as she took offence to what I said.

I hopped off the table and begun to fix myself up. "Forget it. What's done is done. At least now you have no excuse to rag on my tattoos."

"Wait!" Koakuma said as she ran over to me and, for whatever reason, put her hand on my junk. "Don't put that away just yet."

"Uh… why not?"

"You need to get your revenge on Lady Patchouli!" she said with a strange sense of happiness.

"What?" Patchouli and I asked.

Koakuma ran over to Patchouli, grabbed her like a thug and pinned her down over the table.

"She's all yours, Isaac! Go for it!" she said to me.

"Excuse me?!" Patchouli squealed. "Unhand me you damned succubus!"

It didn't take me long to realize what Koakuma had planned. She had bent Patchouli over just for me. So kind of her! But was I really going to take advantage of Patchouli in her vulnerable state just for petty revenge? Yup!

A grin flashed across my face. "You're a good girl, Koakuma," I said.

"Thank you!" Koakuma said.

Patchouli, quickly losing stamina from trying to break out of Koakuma's hold, looked back at me and said, "Don't you dare touch me!"

Of course, I didn't listen. I walked up behind her and softly placed my hand on her behind. I gave it a small squeeze, making Patchouli jump.

"Hey! I said don't touch me. I warn you!" she yelled.

But that's when she was shut up by Koakuma. Koakuma had placed her lips onto her master's lips and began to make out with her. I could hear Patchouli trying to yell through their tightly closed lips.

That's when I took my chance. I grabbed Patchouli's pajamas and lifted them up over her waist. There was no need for me to take off her underwear because she wasn't wearing any. I glided a hand all over her butt, causing her to shake it as she tried to get away from my hand. I then gave her a nice slap across the ass, causing her to yelp. Once she was tired enough from all the struggling, I glided my hand over her pussy and slipped a couple fingers into her. She was able to break free from Koakuma's lips for just a moment to let out a moan, only for Koakuma to lock lips with her again. I moved my fingers in and out of her vagina rigorously as I listened to her moan louder and louder. Once I got her quivering, that's when I pulled my fingers back out and replaced them with my dick. Slowly I pushed myself inside her, my member growing warmer the deeper it went in. That's when she broke free from Koakuma's lips again.

"Ah! No! Pull out! Ah! Ha!" Patchouli begged, but going by her moaning, she didn't really want me to leave.

"Go ahead and fuck her hard, Isaac! She needs it!" Koakuma said excitedly.

So I decided to do as Koakuma told me to do. I grabbed both of Patchouli's ass cheeks and started to pound her hard. I squeezed her butt tightly as I bounced my waist up against it. The table shook and moved slightly forward every time I pounded her backside. Patchouli, meanwhile, moaned to the pleasure of having my dick slide in between the walls of her tight vagina. She looked back over her shoulder to watch as I smacked my waist against her bottom.

"Ah, ha, ha… Don't come inside me. Ah…" Patchouli said.

"Good idea, Miss Patchouli!" Koakuma said with joy. "Do her in the butt next, Isaac, and cum deep in there!"

"What?! No! That's not what I meant!" Patchouli shouted.

Of course I did what Koakuma told me to do. I pulled out of Patchouli's vagina then pressed my dick up against her butthole. It was difficult at first, but with a few tries I got the tip of my dick to enter her butt, allowing me to slowly slide the rest of it up her butt.

"Oooo, not my butt. Oooo…" Patchouli moaned.

Once I got my dick all the way in her ass, I slowly pulled back out and pushed back in. Once I knew Patchouli was comfortable with it (her loud moans and groans told me so), I picked up the pace and fucked her quickly. Patchouli drooled all over the table as she watched me fuck her in the ass. Her moans and groans could probably be heard throughout the library. Meanwhile, Koakuma couldn't help but play with herself while I banged her master. But I couldn't keep going for much longer. I felt the built up in my member quickly and I decided not to hold back. My dick got warmer just as I was getting ready to release my contents inside Patchouli's butt. Then it happened, a pleasurable pressure was felt inside my dick and I released my sperm deep within Patchouli's ass.

"Oooo, he's cumming…" Patchouli moaned as I came in her.

Once I finished, I slowly pulled out of her, my dick falling limp once I was out of her butt. She huffed and puffed while she gained her stamina back. She stood up straight, her pajamas falling back into place. She turned around to face me and gave me a stern look.

"Now I'm going to give you extra work for doing that," she said.

"Oh, come on. You obviously had fun, right?" I said with a smile. But Patchouli would not smile and all I could do was frown. "Damn…"


	19. Chapter 18 Battle with a Flower

Another day wasted carrying books between the mansion and Alice's place. My other responsibilities were slowly falling behind. I was sure to get yelled at by Lady Remilia or Sakuya. Or both. Yeah, definitely both. I had just made my last delivery to Alice and was on my way home. It was far passed my bedtime. The sun was high in the sky and the clouds were scarce. I had just made my way to the edge of the forest and was just standing there, too exhausted to go out into the light. But I had to get home somehow and just standing around wasn't going to help. I was just about to take that first step into the sun until someone called out to me.

"Well, who do we have here? That new vampire I've been hearing all about all the way out here from the mansion? What could your business be out here, I wonder?" the voice of a woman said.

I turned around to face the individual and when I did, all the muscles in my body tightened up all at once. My already bad luck had gone down the shitter real quick. I immediately wanted to run away, but I was so tired. A thumping pain in my head had also decided to make an appearance. The woman I came face to face with was a beauty. Now you might be wondering what the problem was. This woman just so happened to have green hair on top of her head. My heart ached as that stupid dream replayed in my mind like a sick torture. Her hair reached her shoulders and she wore a red plaid skirt that went to her feet. She carried a flower-shaped umbrella. Then there were her eyes. Her eyes were a frightening red. Of all the days to run into someone with green hair it just had to be this one. And I was far from the mansion so I couldn't go for help. I was downright screwed.

"Goodness gracious, boy, you look like you had a bad run in with another youkai. Are you okay?" she asked me with a smile.

"More or less…" I answered.

"I'm so glad to have finally met you, young man. I never thought I would ever see another vampire besides those two girls. And for it to be a handsome man… I think I'm a lucky girl," she said then chuckled to herself.

"Heh… Yeah, I seem to be popular around these parts," I said with a forced laugh. Every minute I stood around with this green-haired woman the closer I felt to vomiting. I had no idea if she was actually the green-haired girl of my dream, but I couldn't risk it.

"Oh, my. How silly of me. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Yuuka Kazami. It's a pleasure to meet you, young vampire," she said with a courtesy.

"And I'm… um… Isaac. Nice to meet you," I greeted haphazardly.

The woman, Yuuka, took a few steps closer to me. "You're trembling, Isaac. Are you not yet use to being around other youkai?" she said, always holding that smile.

"Something like that," I said as I took a step backwards.

"Then I got an idea." The woman walked up to me and took my hand, making me shake more than I already was. "Why don't you come home with me and stay a while? That way you can get used to being around other youkai a little more. I promise not to hurt you."

Bad idea is a bad idea. "Umm… I-I don't think that would be a good idea. You see, I'm already late to getting home and I'm a bit tired so…"

"Nonsense, my boy. I'm sure that vampire won't mind if I borrowed you for a little while and you can always rest at my home. I'll take good care of you," she said, her smile growing a little bit more wide and a little bit more frightening.

"Well, I…"

"Come this way, Isaac. My home is on the other side of the forest. You'll love it there," she said.

Yuuka pulled me by my hand, forcing me to come with her. I did not like hearing that her place was on the other side of the forest. That just meant a lot more walking. Not to mention that I had no interest in going anywhere with this woman, let alone her own home. I know I needed to find out if this woman was dangerous or not, but I could already feel that she was. I felt a power in her that seemed to rival that of my master's. How on earth could I deal with this green-haired woman if she did prove to be a threat? What on earth was a supposed to do?

So without being able to resist, Yuuka led me all the way to where she called home. When we got there, I was greeted to a large field of sunflowers. It was a gorgeous sight, sure, but the sunlight was going to kill me. In the middle of that large field sat a small little house much like that of Alice's. Yuuka forced me to cross that sunlit field and into her house. Once inside, I was relived from the sun's blasted rays and felt so much better. Now I had to attend with being in the home of a green-haired individual.

We were in her living room and in the middle of it were two sets of couches with a coffee table right in the middle of them. Around the edges of the room appeared an assortment of items. It looked like Yuuka was a collector of random stuff. She closed her umbrella up and sat it off to the side then took a seat on one of the couches. She then gestured to me with that smile of hers to take a seat on the other couch so I did. Nervous, I sat down, my eyes at my lap.

Yuuka chuckled. "There's no need to be so nervous. I'm not here to hurt you. I just would like to spend time with you. I'd hate to be the only one who didn't get to know you, you know."

"I understand," I said, not lifting my eyes. "It's just I have some problems that I can't really explain."

"Oh? I'm sure you could if you tried."

 _If I could then I'd probably just upset you…_

"I can't. It's so bizarre that I don't even understand it."

The woman laughed. "You really are coming off as a strange one. I like you already." She stood up, my eyes following her. "How about some tea? Maybe that will help you better understand the little problem you have." She walked off and disappeared into the next room that I assumed was the kitchen.

So I sat there alone, fighting with my thoughts. At that point, should I just run away? I wonder how far I could get before she could chase me down. Would she bother to try? I know it would probably hurt her feelings if she turned out to be just a regular woman who just happened to have green hair. But how in the world am I supposed to know for sure? How many more people with green hair exist in this world and which one of them is the evil one? It's not possible for me to distinguish them. Even if I did find the evil one, what could I possibly do to them? I've gotten a lot better at fighting thanks to Meiling, but I have yet to draw out any magical abilities I may have. What do I have to do to protect Lady Remilia?

Lost in my thoughts, I was suddenly pulled out of them by a strange pull from my heart. I looked around the room spotting nothing out of the unusual. I was about to fall back into my thoughts when I suddenly felt that same pull yet again. I stood up this time, my eyes scanning the room in a bid to find whatever it was that was tugging at my heart. Another pull of my heart and I was walking around the room, snooping in Yuuka's things. The pull at my heart was like some kind of radar and the closer I got to whatever it was that wanted my attention the faster I felt the pull on my heart. That's when I found it; a nicely crafted box that could sit in both of my hands. I gave the box a look over. There was a lock on it so I was unable to open it. Well, that's not true. I could easily open it by breaking it, so that's exactly what I did. With the lock no more, I slowly opened the box. What I found made my heart stop. It was some sort of large nail and it was glowing white. My dream flashed across my vision again. My heart started to ache more at that point. The glowing nail reminded me terribly of the nails that held up one of the people on a cross in my dream. This nail was one of them. It had to be. Why else would it be glowing like it is? And I felt power from it. I had no idea what kind of power, but the power was there. The nail was going to be mine. I would be stupid to leave it with someone who had green hair. So with that easily settled, I went to put the nail in my pocket, but was stopped when Yuuka came back into the room.

Yuuka held a plate with two cups of tea on it. She looked to me before glaring at me when she noticed the nail in my hand. "And what is it that you are doing, Isaac?" she asked.

I was caught red-handed. "Uh… Well, you see…" The only thing I could do at that point was be truthful. Maybe Yuuka is innocent and doesn't even want the nail? "The truth is, is that I need this nail."

"And why is that?" she said as she sat the plate down on the coffee table.

"Long story."

"I have time."

I sighed. "Well, I fear someone with ill intentions wants it and I want to prevent them from getting it," I stated.

"That's odd. What could they possibly do with it?"

"I don't know, but I can't risk them getting a hold of it."

"I'm sorry to say, I have no plans on departing with that item so please put it back where you found it," Yuuka said with a stern look.

Now I was in a bad spot. If I couldn't ask her to hand the nail over to me, then what could I do? Steal it? Well, yes. If that's what I have to do to keep this nail from someone with green hair then I most definitely will.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I will not be returning this nail," I said with determination.

Now Yuuka was mad, going by the look on her face. Her expression did a one eighty when she suddenly smiled. "Is that so? You plan on stealing something that is mine, are you?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, but you're too dangerous to have this nail."

She looked shocked by what I said. "I'm too dangerous?" She then gave me a dark smile that tried to sink my determination, but I held strong the best I could. "Boy, you have no idea how dangerous I can be."

We both stared each other down, waiting on the other to make the first move. Even if I was tired from the lack of sleep, I could still use my unnatural speed to make a run for it. I made steady steps towards the door. Once I was within arm's length of it, I grabbed the door knob, swung the door open and made a mad sprint out of the house. I was half way across the sunflower field and I was certain I was in the clear, but the sudden appearance of Yuuka right in front of me shattered those thoughts. I don't know how she was able to move so fast, but it caused my resolve to waver.

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"You're not very fast for a vampire now are you?" Yuuka said with a giggle.

"I'm fatigued," I explained.

"Then it's going to be very hard for you to steal that nail from me," she said.

I stood my ground, my face reflecting my resolve. "I'll be damned if I give this nail up without a fight," I said.

She looked gleeful with my statement. "Oh, you really are a fun one. I invite you into my home only for you to try and steal from me? You really do want to give me a good time, don't you?"

"I'll be giving you hell if you want this nail back so bad," I stated.

"I hope you do," she said with a dark smirk. "I have not a clue why you want it so bad, but I too will make you work for it."

Yuuka rushed me, throwing a jab towards my head, punching through the wind. I dodged to the side then grabbed hold of her arm. Using my weight, I lifted her up and threw her over my head and went to slam her to the ground, but she gracefully landed on her feet. She twirled on her heel, spinning into a kick that struck me in the side. I went flying from the blow, but I kept on my feet when I landed. I rushed her this time and got into melee range. With my fists up in front of me, I threw a right hook, missing my mark, then throwing a left hook. Yuuka jumped back to avoid the swing. She then did something unexpected. She held up her right hand, her palm pointed at my chest. Then it happened, a white light that was quickly followed by an explosion. I felt the punch of the blast on my chest and I was sent flying backwards. I hit the ground with my back before quickly bouncing back up onto my feet. I looked down at my chest, spotting a hole in my shirt where the blast had hit. My chest ached something fierce.

Yuuka slowly walked towards me, that smirk of hers still present. "Don't just throw your fists around. I want to see what your power is like," she said.

I said nothing. There was nothing to say. But what she did say reminded me of a weapon that I possessed. Quickly, I pulled out the gun gifted to me by Lady Remilia and aimed it at the woman. When I did, she stopped in her tracks, her expression befuddled. She then looked awfully disappointed.

"Oh, dear boy, don't tell me you're going to resort to petty weapons like that," she said.

I said nothing as I took aim at her right arm. Once satisfied with my aim, I pulled the trigger. A purplish fire burst out of the barrel of the gun, followed by a purple line. It traveled through the air in an instant, striking her right in the arm. And when it did, a large explosion of purple fire erupted, engulfing her. I heard a loud, painful shriek ring out from where the woman stood.

Smoke had obscured my vision, hiding Yuuka from my sight. After a while of just standing there with my gun pointed at the cloud of smoke, I was beginning to think that I had accidently killed the woman. I had aimed at her arm to scare her off, but this gun proved to be more powerful than I expected. Once the smoke cleared, I was shown that I had not killed her. She was standing right where she originally was except now she lacked an appendage. Her right arm had been completely blown away. The bullet had eaten it right up. Yuuka appeared to be in quite a deal of pain. Maybe now she'll give up on getting the nail back. I could hope, but that's all I could do.

The painful expression on Yuuka's face did not last long. She formed a dark smirk once again, making me shudder. "Now that was a surprising treat. Looks like that's no ordinary gun. Though, I still would like you to show me your own magical power," she said.

Scared but not broken, I took aim at her other arm. "I'll take your other arm if you don't back off. I'm warning you," I said.

The woman laughed, shaking my resolve. "You can take it if you want, but…"

What I saw then spooked me out of my mind. From the stub of Yuuka's right shoulder, a bushel of vines burst out. What was worse is that they appeared alive, waving around like frenzied animals. My arms grew weak as I lowered my gun. I shook my head, angry with the unfairness of my situation.

"That's bullshit…" I muttered. The anger raging, I took aim at Yuuka's head. There's no way she can live without that. But I would not get the chance to pull the trigger.

Yuuka rushed me down in an instant, knocking my gun out of my hands. She then grabbed hold of me with those vines of her, constricting me and lifting me into the air. She slammed me down onto the ground, lifted me back up and slammed me again. She did this numerous times before throwing me across the sunflower field. I hit the ground hard and rolled dozens of feet before coming to a stop. Hurting badly, I hastily got to my feet, staggering all the away. Yuuka then appeared behind me and kidney shot me. She then followed up with a kick to my back, sending me to the ground face first. I rolled to the side to avoid being stomped on then got to my feet, only to be wrapped in those vines again and slammed to the ground. I coughed and gagged from having the air knocked out of me.

Yuuka looked down at me with a fake frown. "Now you're just making me feel bad. Use your vampiric powers on me. I know you have it swelling in you. I can feel it," she said.

I crawled to my feet, panting exhaustively. "Got bad news for ya… I don't know magic," I said.

"I'll teach you!" she said with a perky smile. The vines that made up one of her arms had reformed into her real arm. It was disheartening to see a non-vampire with such great rejuvenate abilities.

She slammed her knee into my gut, knocking all the air out of me. She then grabbed me by the hair and punched me in the face again and again. I grabbed her by the arm and broke her grip on me then kicked her in the chest, pushing her away and creating some space in between us. She then held out both her hands, palms facing me.

"Twin Spark!" the woman shouted.

I didn't need to guess what was about to happen so I instead leapt to the side, but at such close range, I was unable to dodge the two bursts of magical power that came at me. The white blasts of power caught my left arm, disintegrating it in an instant. I shrieked from the pain, but I didn't let it bother me. Blood and bone from my left shoulder shot out and formed into the shape of my lost arm. Muscle stringed around the blood then just as fast as it was lost, my left arm was reformed whole once again.

There was no time to rest, so I used my abnormal speed to get behind Yuuka. She twirled on her heel in an attempt to round-house kick me, but I ducked the kick. With a good target in front of me, I threw a jab as hard as I could and struck her right in the crotch.

"Guh! Why you…!" Tears were in Yuuka's eyes from the blow.

I followed up with an uppercut, catching her in the chin and sending her into the air. She came back down and landed on the flat of her back. I looked on, surprised but satisfied with what I managed to do. The woman slowly made her way back up to her feet. With a trickle of blood falling from the corner of her lips, she did nothing but smile at me.

"Nice work, young one. But now I'm going to get you to show me your magical prowess whether you want to or not," she stated.

I stood ready, waiting for her next attack. One of her arms exploded into more of those ghastly vines. They came after me with such speed that I was unable to get away from them. They wrapped around me before putting the squeeze on me. I groaned in pain as my body was being crushed. I put all my strength into breaking out, but to no avail.

Holding that dark smirk of hers, Yuuka closed the distance between me and her. "Well? How will you break yourself out of this? Strength alone won't do it so why don't you try pulling out your powers?" she said.

With the air being squeezed out of me, I forced the words out of me. "I… I Told you. I don't know how," I said, aggravated.

"Then let yourself be crushed. You won't die. It'll just continue to hurt real bad."

"P-Piss off!" I shouted. I could feel my anger swelling up inside me. I felt so useless that it pissed me off.

"You've entertained me enough, little vampire. I'll release you, but you're going to have to return that nail to me."

"I'm not giving you the nail unless you dye your hair some other damn color!"

"My hair?" Yuuka said, confused. She glared at me." And what is the deal with my hair? I quite like it, thank you very much."

"It sucks dick!" I shouted, and when I did, I felt my anger explode inside me.

An explosion radiated out from my center, an explosion of blue fire, blasting off the vines and shredding them to pieces. Pieces of the vines rained down all around us, burning up in the blue fire. I huffed and puffed as my anger slowly died down. I looked around me, not really sure as to what had happen. But I was free from the vines' grasp now, so that's a plus. I then noticed that Yuuka had been knocked backwards quite a distance. She was on her back, but she quickly got back up to her feet.

Yuuka brushed herself off of dirt before looking to me with a smile. "See? Was it that hard to do?" she asked.

What I had done was incredible, but there was no time to glee over it. Yuuka has to be dizzy from that sudden explosion. I sort of was. So in a bid to keep the initiative, I rushed down Yuuka as quickly as possible. With both the speed I was running and the weight of my body, I threw a right hook. Yuuka ducked then punched me in the gut. I took on the painful hit then countered with a knee to her face. She nearly toppled over, but she managed to go for a counter of her own and swiped my feet out from under me with the sweep of her leg. I caught myself before hitting the ground then bounced back up to my feet. She struck me with a jab to the face and I returned that jab with a jab of my own, striking her in the face. We swung at each other like mad. It got to the point that we weren't bothering to dodge each other attacks and instead took them head on.

I was starting to feel really woozy, but, unfortunately for me, Yuuka wasn't. She tossed another jab at me, but I deflected her attack then threw my entire body forward. With my head held back, I snapped it forward, delivering a devastating head-but to her forehead. Her head bounced back on her shoulders and she nearly lost her footing. I placed a foot behind her feet, ensuring that she would fall. She tripped over my foot and fell backwards, with me going down with her. Midway through falling, I pulled out that nail and went to stab her. She saw through my attack and moved to the side, but I caught her in the left hand, piercing straight through her palm. We hit the ground together. I quickly rolled away from her and stood up, ready to continue the fight. Yuuka went to get up, but was stopped. I had managed to nail her to the ground, not that it would matter much. It then dawned on me on what I had done. I had accidently given the nail to Yuuka. An utterly stupid lack of judgment on my part.

Yuuka chuckled now that she had the nail in her custody. She went to remove the nail, but she, strangely, seemed to have some trouble doing so. She pulled and pulled, but the nail would not seem to budge. I was confused to all hell. The nail was only in the earth. There's no way she should have trouble removing it.

Yuuka continued to struggle over and over again. "What in the… Why won't it… Stupid thing…"

I just stood there in silence. But after a while of watching her fail over and over again, I decided to speak up. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Shut up," she said. "I'm just having a little difficulty is all."

"Oky doky…"

So I waited and waited, but no matter what she did, the glowing nail would not move an inch. I was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong with the woman. Did I hit her too hard or something?

She gave the nail one last pull before seemingly giving up. "So it's one of those kinds of nails…" she mumbled. She then looked to me with a gracious smile. A fake one, that is.

"Isaac… Would you be so kind as to remove this nail?" she asked me all sweet like, but I wasn't fooled.

I didn't really know what was going on, but I wasn't about to touch that nail. "Why should I do that?" I asked.

Disgruntled, Yuuka sighed. "Because I'm having trouble removing it myself. That's why," she said.

A smirk appeared on my face. "I don't think I want to," I said.

She growled at me. "If you want this nail then you are going to have to remove it."

"Nah, I like exactly where it is," I said. "Maybe if you're lucky, someone will come by and pull it out for you."

She sighed. "That won't work. Only you can pull this damn thing out," she said then immediately appeared to have regretted it.

I smiled like the Joker. "Only I can, you say?" Now that was information I sorely needed. I don't know what that nail is, but I'm beginning to understand it little by little.

"Look… If you remove the nail, I'll let you have it. Okay?"

I shook my head. "Nope. This situation works perfectly for me. I know where the nail is and it seems to have immobilized someone with green hair," I said.

"What the hell is wrong with people with green hair?" she asked angrily.

I found my gun on the ground and picked it up. "I think I'll be going now. I need to report this to Lady Remilia."

"Oh, no you don't!" Yuuka, using her free hand, shot a ball of magic at me. I dodged it easily enough.

"Rude."

Yuuka was about to take another shot at me, but someone appeared from the sky and landed in between us. I hadn't seen her in a long time, but I recognized the red and white outfit. I believe her name was Reimu.

"Are you Reimu?" I asked.

The girl turned to me with a smile. "I sure am," she said. She looked to Yuuka then back to me. "So… What'cha two doing?"

"Reimu my dear… Please have that boy remove this nail," Yuuka pleaded.

Reimu walked up to Yuuka then examined the nail. "It's one of those kind of nails, aint it? Where did you find it?" she asked.

"I took it from some fairies," Yuuka answered. "Please have him remove it. My arm is going numb."

"I'm not removing it until I talk with my master," I strongly insisted.

Reimu walked up to me and examined the poor state I was in. "Looks like you two were beating on each other. I'm surprised you're still standing after fighting with her. Good work, newbie," she said.

"Thanks," I said. "But I need to get going. This is important." I went to take my leave, but Reimu grabbed me by the shirt. "What is it?"

"Remove the nail," she said softly.

I was shocked with what she said. "What? You're kidding, right? She'll kill me the second I remove it."

"I won't let her. I promise."

I went to object again, but the girl's soft expression stopped me. I sighed and walked to Yuuka. I looked down at her and she glared up at me. "I'm keeping the nail," I stated.

She looked away from me with a huff. "Fine. Go ahead. I don't care anymore," she said.

So I grabbed the nail and, hesitantly, pulled it. It came out without any effort whatsoever. I quickly tossed it in my pocket and went to head off back to the mansion, but was stopped by Yuuka.

"This was a fun meeting, I must admit," she said. "Next time we meet, why don't we have that tea I promised you? Oh, and this time, don't take any more of my things."

I turned to face her. "Sure thing," I said then went on my way.

Reimu nodded at me as I passed her by. "Thank you, Isaac," she said and I nodded at her with a smile. "No idea why you want that thing, but you earned it."

"Indeed," I said then waved Reimu off.

This was a horrendous day. My life was on the line for the most of it and I just barely made it out. But I did come out of it with a valuable item. The nail; it was one of three from my dream. If I found one then that means there was two more somewhere in the world. I needed to find them. I don't know the significance of the nails, but I had to make sure that the evil one did not get a hold of them.

After a long journey, I made it back to the mansion. I opened the front doors to find an angry vampire on the other side. It was my master, Remilia Scarlet.

"And where in the world have you been?" she asked me angrily.

I said nothing and instead pulled out the glowing nail. I placed it in Lady Remilia's hand then promptly collapsed from exhaustion.


	20. Chapter 19 Chained Heart

After my fight with a youkai named Yuuka and the retrieval of a mysterious, glowing nail, I was rewarded by Lady Remilia with the night off. I had tried to sleep in, only to wake up at my normal time out of habit. So I stayed in bed and relaxed my sore muscles and pained head. The fight had taken a lot out of me; having fought in the clear sunlight not having helped any. But now we had a glowing nail from my dream in our possession. I had no idea to the significance of said nail, where it came from or what it could truly do, but I was convinced someone evil wanted it and I had to make sure they would never get their hands on it. With the help of Remilia and everyone in the mansion, I was confident we could do just that. I couldn't rely on myself so thankfully I had friends that I could rely on. I was a beetle among hawks, but I have gotten stronger. Now if only I could become as strong as I possibly can before the worst happens… Things wouldn't be so scary for me. That youkai I got the nail from, Yuuka, was only toying with me (I'm not dumb enough to think otherwise). If I get into a fight with someone just as powerful but less forgiving, I may not make it home this time.

I laid still in bed as to not agitate my muscles. Breathing was enough to make them hurt. I tried to fall back to sleep, but was interrupted by the sound of my door opening. I turned my head to see Lady Remilia trying her hardest to soundlessly enter my room. She stopped when she saw me looking at her.

"Oh! Did I wake you?" she asked me.

"Nah," I said. "My inner alarm clock woke me up a while ago."

"I see…" Remilia entered my room and walked up to my bed. "I came for no particular reason. Just wanted to see if you were doing well."

A big smile appeared on my face. "Aww, you do care!"

Lady Remilia avoided eye contact with me as she blushed. "Of course I do. You are my childe, after all. Don't act so surprised," she said.

"I'm just messing with ya," I said. Fighting through the pain of my sore muscles, I got up onto all fours and crawled to my master. Before she could do anything, I planted a kiss on her lips.

She took a step back, surprised and with a redder face. She then glared at me. "And who gave you permission to do that?"

I chuckled. "You did, with that worried look on your face," I said. "I told you I'm fine. Just a little sore is all."

"Hmm… If you have the guts to steal a kiss from me then maybe you are fit for work?" she asked, a smirk now on her face.

"Uh… No, no I still could use a day of rest," I said worriedly.

"I know. I wouldn't take that from you after giving it to you." Lady Remilia closed the distance back up between me and her. She then placed her lips on mine and we went into a deep kiss. After a while, we separated. She looked satisfied with the kiss for a split second before glaring at me. "Never get yourself into a fight by yourself like that again. That youkai could have easily killed you if she had wanted to."

"I know, I know. It was that dream that was driving me to fight," I said.

"No excuses," my master said. "You're just not strong enough yet. If a similar situation pops up, then come get me."

"I will," I said then kissed her once again to, honestly, shut her up so she wouldn't lecture me anymore. Plus there was something I wanted from her.

I got off the bed then wrapped my arms around the smaller vampire into an embrace as I continued to kiss her. She kissed back and pulled me closer to her. With a free hand, I shoved it down her skirt and grabbed hold of her buttocks. She let out a short, sharp cry.

Panting, I went to pick her up and throw her onto my bed, but she stopped me. "Get in my bed," I said urgently.

She poked my nose with the tip of her finger. "You're being awfully demanding now aren't you, my pet?" she said.

"It's been a while since we shared a bed together," I said. "Sore or not, I want you right now."

"Maybe so, but wasn't the other girls more than enough for you for the time being?" she asked in a snarky tone.

Now I was in a pickle. "I… Well… Um… Was that a problem?" I asked dearly.

"The others could use a love pillow now and then, but ONLY the one's here in the mansion. We should be more than enough for you. Just remember you belong to me first and foremost; your one and only master."

"I understand, master," I said.

I must say that I dodged a bullet there. Honestly though, I should have asked Lady Remilia for permission first before fooling around with the others, but that time with Sakuya kind of made me thing it was okay. But, still, should have asked first. I admit that.

I went to continue kissing my master, but she pressed her finger on my lips, stopping me.

"I lied when I said I didn't come here for any particular reason," she said. She looked over her shoulder at the door to my room. Enter came her sister, Flandre Scarlet.

I was not too happy with her presence. Even after our first encounter, she would suddenly show up when I was working then start chasing me around, blowing stuff up all around me, terrifying me to bits until Remilia or Sakuya would show up to stop her. She did this so many times that now I would shudder whenever around her even when she was being well behaved. Needless to say, I never got along with her.

I playfully grabbed Lady Remilia and used her as a shield. "Back I say!" I exclaimed.

Flandre giggled. "Hello to you too, play boy. Trying to have fun with my elder sister, are you?" she said.

"That's between me and her," I stated aggressively.

"Enough, Isaac. I brought her here with me for a reason," Lady Remilia said.

"What about us?" I whispered in Remilia's ear.

"Oh, don't worry, my pet. You will still have me tonight," she said as she squeezed me lips together playfully. "But you will be getting a taste of my dear younger sister as well."

She continued to squeeze my lips playfully as I just stared back at her with a blank expression. After a moment, a gear clicked inside my head. "Wait, what?"

"That's right," Flandre happily said as she wrapped her arms around my left arm. "I've been wanting to play with you for so long and dear sister has finally let me today."

I cocked a look at Lady Remilia. "The hell is the meaning of this?"

"What? You don't want to have fun with two lovely vampires at the same time?" Remilia said as she smirked at me.

"Sure, but not with this one," I said sternly.

Flandre placed her hands on her waist with an angry expression. "What the hell? You play with the other girls, but you won't play with me?"

"They don't try to blow me up," I said.

"I did promise her that you would play with her tonight so that's exactly what will happen," Lady Remilia stated.

"But I don't wanna," I complained, only for both Remilia and Flandre to pinch each of my arms. "Ow! Jesus, fine, I'll do it! Not that I can really complain…"

Flandre had already slipped off her white panties by the time I gave the go ahead. She then tossed them at me, planting them right across my eyes. I tore them off me and went to toss them back at her, but she raced me down and tackled me onto my bed. She held me down by my arms and looked down at me, licking her lips.

"Careful," I pleaded. "My body is sore."

Flandre chuckled. "Your body will become sorer by the time we're done with you," she said. Anticipating what the two female vampires had in store for me, a shiver ran up the length of my spine.

She leaned down and planted her lips on mine, going into a rough kiss. Soon she had her tongue down my throat. I struggled underneath her, unable to breath. She still had my arms pinned above me, keeping me in place. I did try to kiss back, but she was in full control. After a while, she finally pulled back with a big inhale as she too needed to catch her breath. I gasped for air and drool ran down from the corner of my lips. Flandre too was drooling as she stared down at me with hungry eyes. She then grabbed hold of my shirt and, to my surprise, tore it apart.

I looked down at my ruined shirt. "Ah, shit! Sakuya is going to be so mad with me," I complained.

Still holding me down, Flandre hopped up onto my abs and began to rob her crotch up and down the length of them. I could already feel the wetness of her crotch soaking my abs. Face flushed, she bit the bottom of her lip and let out small moans as she continued to rub herself against me. I liked the smooth sensation of her pussy on my abs and I wanted to help her out, but she kept me pinned down.

With one vampire rubbing herself on me, the other one got to work on pulling my pants and boxer shorts off. I was already pretty turned on by what Flandre was doing, but Remilia went ahead and helped me out anyways. She licked the underside of my shaft with her cold tongue, sending shivers up my spine. One, two, three licks and suddenly she started to nibble the tip of my member, scaring me a little.

"Whoa there, Remilia. Careful with those teeth of yours," I said and she answered me with a giggle.

I felt it then, Remilia's mouth slowly engulfing the entirety of my shaft. My body tightened as her lips glided down the length of my dick. Once her lips hit the base of my dick, she quickly moved her head back up my shaft then back down again. She sucked me off real good as her sister continued to ride my abs.

Flandre stopped her gliding and was shivering from the pleasure she went through. Again I tried to break free of her hold, this time she let me go. With a hand free, I immediately moved under her skirt and grabbed hold of her crotch. With a short cry of pleasure, she grabbed hold of my arm, but did not try and stop me. I took two fingers and shoved them into her vagina. She cried out again then began to moan as I moved my fingers in and out of her. I breathed heavily as Remilia gave me a blow job while Flandre breathed heavily from me finger blasting her. The room was filled with Flandre's moans and sucking sounds coming from Remilia.

"Ah, ha, I-I'm going to…" Flandre started to say and that was my queue to move my drenched fingers faster. She arched her back and let out a load moan at the ceiling as she came. I continued moving my fingers as she came, my hand becoming soaked with her juices. Once she was done cumming, she fell forward onto me. She panted from the pleasurable exertion she went through.

Once I had made Flandre cum, Remilia gave my dick one last suck before pulling it out of her mouth with an audible pop. "Dear sister," she began. "We just started and already you came? You must have been holding it in for quite some time. Poor you." She lifted Flandre's skirt then smacked her on the ass.

"Eek!" Flandre cried out. She sat herself back up and turned around to glare at her older sister. "Well, if you hadn't kept this boy to yourself I wouldn't have been so horny for so long."

"For the umpteenth time, I'm a man," I complained irritably.

Flandre grabbed my dick and slowly stroked it. "That doesn't matter. Your mine tonight," she stated.

"Wrong," Remilia said. She opened up the front of her shirt, exposing her breasts. She then climbed up onto the bed and unbuttoned Flandre's shirt, exposing her breasts as well. "He's ours to share this night, but he'll always be mine."

She embraced her sister, pressing their breasts up against each other before kissing her. They quickly started to play with each other's tongues as they made out with one another.

"You're so mean, sister," Flandre said then returned to making out with Remilia.

I watched for a while as the two female vampires made out with one another. Growing hot and bothered, I decided to sit up in bed then take Flandre away from Remilia. I immediately pressed my lips against the blond vampire's lips then slipped my tongue into her mouth. We tangled our tongues together as we sucked on each other's lips. Remilia got upset and stole her sister back from me, making out with her once again. I decided to undo Flandre's skirt and slowly pull it off her. Exposing her rear, I placed my hand on it and softly squeezed. She jumped slightly with a muffled cry, pushing me to play with her butt some more. I couldn't hold back any longer after playing with her ass, so I gently lifted the girl onto her knees. Flandre reacted favorably and bent herself over, all the while she continued to make out with her older sibling. Her pussy was already soaked from before so there was nothing more that I needed to do. So with my throbbing dick, I took aim at her vagina then roughly pushed myself in. She let out a loud cry of pleasure with the sudden penetration.

Remilia giggled. "I hope he isn't too much for you, dear Flandre," she said before kissing her sister once more.

I started pounding Flandre from behind quickly and without patience. Her muffled moans were loud and heart pounding, making me pound her hard and fast. Her insides were warm and slick, but she was quite tight. Once I was in her, she did not want to let me go. Flandre reached back with one of her hands and grabbed her butt. I reached forward and grabbed hold of both her dangling boobs and started to massage them. Her moans grew louder even while she made out with Remilia. They both parted for a moment, wiggling their tongues around one another's. Flandre panted like a dog as I continued to plow her from behind. She was dripping all over my bed as my shaft swept the insides of her vagina. It didn't make me thrilled that I was going to need to wash my blankets and sheets after we were done, but it was worth fucking Flandre as hard as I could. I was closing in on my limit just as Flandre began to cum. Her moans echoed throughout the room as she came for the second time. I felt the walls of her vagina constrict around my dick, only for them to stop once she was finished cumming. That's when I was done. I quickly pulled out and Flandre hastily turned around. She opened her mouth wide open right in time to catch my first burst of cum. A string of white liquid flew out from my dick and directly into Flandre's mouth. A second shot landed across the length of her tongue as did the third. The rest pooled on her tongue. Once I was done, she pulled in her cum-covered tongue and immediately swallowed it all.

Flandre looked up at me with yearning eyes. "That was good. Give me more," she said with bated breath.

"Don't get greedy now, Flandre," Lady Remilia said as she pulled me to her. She had taken off her skirt and panties and was quite ready going by the wetness of her crotch. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me down over top of her then wrapped her legs around me. "Be rough with me," she said with drool running down the corner of her lips.

I eagerly obeyed my master's command. With my dick aimed at her pussy, I pushed forward hard, penetrating her in an instant. She let out a sharp cry then started to moan as I rode her missionary style. The bed creaked and groaned as I plowed roughly into Remilia. Her legs tightened around me, desperate to not let me go. Meanwhile, Flandre watched jealously, though it didn't take long for her to start playing with herself as she watched me bang her older sister. Both the girls moaned loudly, bringing music to my ears that made the warm sensation in my member that much warmer. Soon, Flandre lost her patience and tore me away from Remilia. Remilia tried with all her might to hold onto me with her legs, but Flandre was able to break me out of her grip. She then through me down on my back.

Remilia was, obviously, not very happy. "Hey, what do you think you are doing, Flan?!"

Flandre wasted no time in hopping on top of me. Her pussy split open to accommodate my member as she slid down on me. She then immediately started to ride me as fast as she could.

"Ah, hah-ah… Y-You had enough fun with him. It's my turn again. Ha-ah…" Flandre said.

"You already got a taste of him as I promised. I demand you get off of MY servant," Lady Remilia demanded.

"Ah, no! It feels too good! Ah ha ha, ng…"

The two girls argued even as Flandre continued to ride me and with how fast she hopped and bounced on me, I soon came to my limit. I felt a pleasurable pressure in my member and I started to fill the small space within Flandre's belly. She let out a drawn out moan as my seed warmed her.

"Aaaah. That felt so good," Flandre said, her face hot red.

"Damn you, Isaac. You were supposed to cum in me, not her," Lady Remilia angrily stated.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," I said.

Flandre slowly lifted herself up, letting my dick fall out of her. A small bit of cum dripped out of her. "Wow," she said. "That was a lot."

I let out a tired sigh. "And I think I'm all drained out too," I said.

Remilia suddenly grabbed hold of Flandre's cheek and pinched it. "Ow ow ow ow!" Flandre flailed as she was pinched.

"And it's your fault he's drained!" Remilia shouted angrily.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Flandre flailed. Remilia then released her. She rubbed her sore, red cheek. "Jeez… Don't be such a sore loser…"

The two vampire girls, reasonably satisfied, had gotten dressed and left my room, leaving me to get some rest. I was tired before our little fun and now I was certainly more tired. The night went by quickly and I spent half of it in bed while the other half I did some actual work. I didn't want to get too far behind on my duties. I spent a lot of time thinking about my times with the girls of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Each time was equally good, all except for Remilia, my master. My time with her would always be at the center of my heart, above the rest. I couldn't help but think about Remilia a lot. It made me question what kinds of feelings I have for her and if it was okay to have those kinds of feelings. Those kinds of feelings made me even more determined to find the remaining two glowing nails. Where I could find them remained a mystery, but whatever may come, no evil green-haired person will ever get their hands on them.


	21. Chapter 20 Beginning of Adventure

I stood on standby off to the side of Lady Remilia who was sitting at the dining table. As expected, I was dying of boredom and was moments away from throwing myself out a window. Lady Remilia was sitting staring at the lunch I had just made for her. Sakuya was ill in bed so it was up to me to feed our master. Of course, I was far from the amazing cook that Sakuya was so I could only make Remilia a humble meal, but she didn't seem too fond with what I made her and was just staring down at it.

After a few moments waiting for her to take a bite, I decided to let out a loud belch for shits and giggles. Lady Remilia jumped in her chair in surprise then turned her head to glare angrily at me.

"How dare you do that when I'm trying to eat," she said, aggravated.

"Well, your food is going to get cold if you don't eat it soon so hurry the hell up," I strongly insisted.

"How can this half-assed made sandwich be any good?" she asked rhetorically. "What even is this?"

"It's a god damn grilled cheese sandwich," I answered, shocked she even had to ask. "It's good stuff so eat up before I do."

"Why, oh, why did Sakuya have to go and get sick…?" Lady Remilia complained as she held the sandwich in her hands.

"It might be walking pneumonia that she has or something so she might be out for a few days," I stated.

"So I'm stuck eating your lazily made food until she's better?"

"Hey, I put some actual effort into making that sandwich."

"What amount of effort could possibly be put into such a simple sandwich?"

"For all that is good in the world, just shut up and eat the damn thing," I said frustratingly.

"I still need to teach you how to talk to your master…" Lady Remilia said, but she didn't continue on with that thought and decided to finally take a bite out of the grilled cheese sandwich. She chewed what she had then gulped it down. She suddenly looked surprised. "This… is actually good. This half-assed sandwich is actually good."

"See? Now stop complaining and eat it. I'll probably end up making another one for you for dinner. I have yet to be taught how to cook things like Sakuya does," I said.

Remilia ate her sandwich a bite at a time until it was gone. Once she was done, she smiled in satisfaction then took a towel to her lips to clean them. I knew she would like it. A grilled cheese sandwich is always a good food to go with. Easy to make, easy to eat.

Remilia got up out of her seat then walked up to me. "I have an order for you," she said.

"What you need?" I asked.

"I want you to go to Eientei and get some medicine for Sakuya," she said.

I stared at the girl for a few moments in silence before speaking up. "To where…?"

"Eientei. There you will find a pharmacist by the name of Eirin Yagokoro. Go there and ask her for medicine. She'll know what to do from there."

"I can't even spell it let alone find the place," I mentioned.

"You're going to have to learn how to navigate the world of Gensokyo and this will be the perfect opportunity for you to do just that."

"You're not even going to tell me where it is?!" I said in surprise.

"I'm sure you will pull through and find it on your own."

"This is Sakuya's health we're talking about. Don't you think we shouldn't be toying around?"

"She's not going to die overnight. So hurry up and get going," Remilia said then took her leave from the dining room.

I stood right where I was, befuddled. I was in a bind. My master has ordered me to go out into the world of Gensokyo. I've been outside the walls of the mansion before, sure, but I know I have barely touched the surface. How the hell was I going to find this place called Eientei? Where do I even start? I had a couple of ideas, but I still didn't like the idea of wandering around Gensokyo when I hardly know the place. I'd hate to accidently run into someone like that Yuuka lady. I'd die for sure. Well, it wasn't like I had much choice. It was a command from Lady Remilia and I definitely wanted to help Sakuya so I mentally prepped myself and made my way to my first destination.

* * *

I traveled through the dark, Magic Forest with a book from Patchouli's library in hand. I decided that going to Alice's place for directions was the best thing I could do. No one at the mansion would give me any kind of directions since they were specifically told by Lady Remilia not to assist me in my travels. Damn that girl… God, love her, but she can be such a pain sometimes. I know she wants me to learn things on my own, but she could throw me a bone every once in a while. With that said and done, I continued onwards towards Alice's place.

The walk was, thankfully, a peaceful one. I had made it to Alice's house and was standing before the door. I hesitated to knock because I really didn't want to wake Alice up, but I had no choice. So, with a quick inhale then exhale of air, I knocked on the door three times. I waited patiently and my patience was rewarded. The door opened and there stood… not the person I was expecting. The blonde girl in a witch's uniform was shocked to see me before putting on a big smile.

"Well, I be damned," Marisa said before looking back into the house. "Alice! Look who decided to join us!" she shouted.

The owner of the home, Alice, appeared from within the house. She too looked surprised before smiling. "Isaac. What brings you here at this time of night?"

Marisa eyed the book I was carrying then snatched it away. "I'll take that," she said.

I glared at the girl. "That's for Alice," I said, determined. I loosened up my face then looked back to Alice. "I was actually hoping I can get some directions from you."

"Directions?" Alice asked for clarification.

"Yeah. I need to get to a place called Eientei," I said.

Marisa was scanning through the book I had brought for Alice before looking up at me. "Ooo, Eientei. Why you wanna go there?" she asked.

"Sakuya's sick so I need to go get her some meds," I said.

"That's unfortunate to hear," Alice said with a nod.

Marisa giggled. "Nice to hear that the mansion's defenses have been lowered," she said cheekily.

"Don't get any ideas," I said as I glared at the witch condemningly. "I'll still beat your ass if you try and steal books from Patchouli."

Marisa winced as if remembering a bad memory. "You really shouldn't be so quick to beat up a lady, Isaac," she said.

"You're no lady. And besides, your behind deserved it," I said.

"I think my butt is still red from the last time…" Marisa said then started to raise her skirt. "Alice, check my butt out for me and tell me if it's still red."

Alice quickly forced her skirt back down. "I don't want to see your butt, Marisa," she said angrily. Marisa chuckled at her flushed face.

I let out a short laugh. "At least you're a good sport about losing," I said.

"I made this clear before… I hold back because you can't even fly yet," Marisa informed.

I grinned. "That or you just like to be spanked."

And Marisa blushed hard. "I-I do not!"

"You both are weird," Alice stated.

"Anyways," I started. "Could you draw me a map or something, Alice?"

"Hold it!" Marisa interrupted. "Why don't I just take you there myself? I know how much you like to fly on my broom."

I smiled as my blood got to pumping. "That would be great actually!" I said.

Marisa was getting really excited about the idea. "We can even make a few detours on the way. You know, show you around Gensokyo," she said.

"At this time of night?" I asked, unsure.

"Sure, it'll be fun!" she happily said.

"Well, I don't mine, but Sakuya could really use the medicine sooner rather than later," I stated.

"It's not like she's going to die overnight, bud," she said.

"Fine, fine." I gave in.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we'll continue with the experiment some other time," she said. "You two have fun and stay out of trouble."

"Of course we will!" Marisa said excitedly. She then ran towards the door, grabbing a hold of my hand on the way and dragging me out of the house. "This is going to be great. I already know who we should visit first."

Marisa took her broom and sat on it then gestured me to join her. I did as I was told and sat myself right behind her. I scooted up against her backside as close as possible and wrapped my arms around her waist and held on tightly.

I could see her face getting red. "Y-You don't need to get so close, you know…" she said.

"Heh… Just want to make sure I don't fall off. We wouldn't want that to happen now would we?" I teased.

"Fine, just… don't push up against me anymore than you are."

"No promises," I said with a chuckle.

So, the broom raised us up above the trees of the forest. The moment we were in the clear, Marisa blasted us forward into the night sky. It was actually a good thing that I was holding on tight to Marisa because I really could have fallen off. The thrill of the flight got my heart racing. I cheered as we raced across the sky. The flight didn't last long though and soon we were just outside the edges of the forest. We landed in front of a place that looked like some sort of shop. We hopped off the broom and Marisa fast walked towards the door. She immediately started to knock hard and loud.

I walked up to Marisa. "Are you sure whoever owns the place is even awake?" I asked.

"He is now if he wasn't already," Marisa stated.

She continued to knock on the door nonstop before someone finally opened the door. For the first time in forever, it was not a female who greeted us at the door. It was actually the first male I have seen since coming to Gensokyo, if you don't count the prisoners back at the mansion, that is.

"So it is you…" the guy said as he sullenly looked at Marisa. "You do know what time it is, do you not, Marisa?"

"Hey, Rinnosuke! I've brought a visitor!" Marisa said joyously.

"I see that," the man named Rinnosuke said as his eyes turned to me. A calm smile appeared in his expression. "Hello there. You must be the new vampire, Isaac."

"Nice guess," Marisa said as she held up a thumbs up.

"How do you know who I am?" I asked, confused.

"Marisa here has mentioned you quite a few times," he said.

"Yup, it's true!" Marisa said.

Something then ticked in my mind. It was then I remembered hearing of a shopkeeper by the name of Rinnosuke. He was the one Sakuya got my lighter from. I took out the lighter from my pocket and presented it to the guy.

"You're the one who gave me this for free. Man, I've been wanting to thank you for a long time," I said.

"It was no problem on my part," Rinnosuke said happily. "I was in quite a shock when Sakuya told me there was a newborn vampire living at the mansion. When she ordered some cigarettes, I knew what you needed."

I took his hand and shook it. "Thanks, man. A dozen thanks."

"Again, it was no problem," he said.

"Well, I'm glad you two became friends so quick," Marisa said with a happy nod.

"Why don't you two come in? Isaac could look around and you, Marisa, can buy him a late welcoming gift," Rinnosuke said.

"Sounds good to me," I said with a big smile on my face. I made my way inside the shop with Marisa behind me and Rinnosuke behind her.

Marisa looked shocked. "What? Why me? You can just give him something for free," she said franticly.

"I can't just give out all my items for free," he said with a wink.

As expected, there were all kinds of crap sitting on tables just waiting to be bought. A lot of it looked like antique stuff. Nothing I was really interested in. I pulled out a small box from my pocket and opened it to find a loan cigarette inside. I turned to Rinnosuke. All I did was hold up the box and he knew exactly what I needed.

"I still have plenty imported from the Outside World," he said then made his way to the back of his shop.

Marisa shook her head in disgust. "No wonder your breath smells bad. You really need to put an end to smoking," she strongly insisted.

"Not going to happen," I said as I put the last cigarette in my mouth and lit up then took in a big breath of smoke that filled my lungs. "I'd die without the nicotine."

Rinnosuke came out from the back with two small boxes of cigarettes then handed them to me. "One is free, Marisa will buy the other one," he said.

Marisa shook her head wildly. "Nope, I will not be an enabler to his smoking addiction," she said.

"I'll simply put it on your tab," Rinnosuke said.

"Nooooo!" Marisa whined.

"Thanks a bunch you two," I said while bowing my head.

"Alright, let's get moving before I'm made to buy you more stuff," Marisa said with her head lowered in defeat.

Rinnosuke and I took each other's hand and shook. "Great to meet you," I said.

"Likewise," Rinnosuke said.

Marisa and I made our way back outside. I finished up my cigarette before mounting her broom. Again, we raised high above the canopy of the forest before blasting off to our next destination. It was cold flying through the night sky, but the thrill of the flight kept my blood warm. Marisa even did some flips and rolls for my amusement. I shouted joyfully out into the dark skies as we raced through the air.

Marisa didn't tell me what out next destination was. We simply landed at the bottom of some stone steps that lead high up on a hill. There were Japanese styled archways that lead up along the stone steps. I wondered why Marisa didn't simply fly us up to the top of the hill, but I didn't bother asking. Needed the exercise anyways.

I took one step on the first of many stone steps. "Up this way?" I asked Marisa.

"Yup," she answered with a smile. "This will take us to the Hakurei Shrine. It's where Reimu lives."

"Heh… Think she'll be mad when we wake her up?" I asked.

"Yup!" she answered with yet another carefree smile.

So we made our way up the long flight of stone steps. It was a long walk, but a nice one. It wasn't too long by the time we had made it up the stone steps. And sitting there at the very top was exactly what Marisa said there'd be: a shrine. I'd call it a pagan shrine, but that apparently isn't accurate. It was a Shinto shrine, the apparent native religion of Japan. I did not know this until recently.

Marisa wasted no time in running up to the front door of the shrine and slid it open. "Reimu! Come quick! There's a trouble-making youkai out here saying he'll kick your ass!"

"Real funny, Marisa," I said.

But what happened next was not at all what I expected. It wasn't Reimu who came running out of the shrine, but a short, two-horned individual. The horns had ribbons on them. Her hair was a brownish, orangish color. She wore a long purple and pink skirt with a tattered pale pink blouse. In her hand was some sort of container for some kind of liquid. Water maybe? The girl laid her brown eyes on me and the instant she did she tossed the container right at my head. It flew through the air so fast that I didn't have the chance to duck and took the hit square on my forehead. I was knocked backwards, landing on the flat of my back. I now had a throbbing pain in the front of my head. The container fell on my gut and I quickly grabbed it, stood up with rage filling my chest, and took aim at the little punk.

"Drink some!" the short girl shouted, pausing my throw.

I just stared at her like she was some kind of idiot before realizing the container was indeed filled up with a liquid. I popped the plug then took a whiff of what was inside. And I was easily able to tell what exactly was inside: alcohol. The smell had suddenly numbed my pained head. I couldn't help but smile as I put the container to my lips and took a big swig of the stuff. I swallowed it all in one big gulp then nearly gaged. My eyes tear up from how strong the alcohol was.

"Woo! That's some good stuff," I said, my face scrunched up.

The girl ran up to me and snatched back the container then took a swig of her own. Not one swig, but two, three! She gulped each mouthful down without problems, putting me to shame.

"Jesus, girl. Who you trying to prove to?" I asked.

The horned-girl took a fourth swig and drank that down without problems too. "As I figured… A Westerner can't handle our sake," she said.

I got mad then snatched the container from her. I took one, two, three, four and finally a fifth mouthful of the stuff called sake, drinking each one down. I struggled to drink one after another, but I managed to do it. At the end of it, my stomach felt like it was about to burst. I handed back the container to the girl with a huff.

"Nice!" the girl said. "Who are YOU trying to prove to, huh?" She gave me a wink.

Marisa ran up to us. "Don't leave me out of it. Give me some!" she demanded. The short girl handed the container over to her and she took a few swigs herself.

Meanwhile, the owner of the shrine came walking out. She didn't appear to look all too happy.

"Why are you people gathering at my place at this time of night?" Reimu asked irritably.

"Marisa forced me here," I said.

Marisa gasped. "I would never! He came with me willingly. Believe me, Reimu!" she said.

"You know I just like being here with you!" the short girl declared.

I turned to the girl with horns. "I'm-"

"Isaac! It's so cool to finally meet you!" the girl said excitedly.

"Yeah, figures you'd know my name already," I said. "Mind telling me your name?"

The girl held her hands out to me. "Pick me up," she oddly said.

"What?"

"You deaf, boy? I said pick me up!" she strongly insisted.

I was taken aback, but her demand was tough to ignore. So I grabbed onto her waist and lifted her off her feet. She was as light as a feather. I held her high in the air, wondering if I'd done enough to get a name out of her.

"So… What now?" I asked.

"Spin me right round, baby!" she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Don't be a dipstick and spin me around already," the girl demanded.

"Fine, fine. Jesus…"

So I did as I was told and spun the girl around like you would do a child. Maybe she was a child? I didn't want to assume based on her looks considering I have a master that isn't exactly adult-looking herself. But the girl drinks alcohol so no way she was a child. The girl laughed and cheered as I spun her, clearly having a good time. It felt a little weird to me at first, but I ended up getting into it and started to spin the girl around faster.

"That'a boy! That's how you do it!" the girl shouted.

Faster and faster I spun the strange girl. It was going well until the alcohol suddenly kicked in. I lost my footing and fell over onto my back. It was a bad idea to spin around because now I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I felt pressure on my chest thinking I was about to throw up, but that wasn't it. That girl was lying on my chest looking at me with a smirk and a slight blush in her cheeks. I couldn't help but blush too with how close her face was to mine. Her breath reeked of alcohol, as mine probably did too.

The girl poked my nose. "Pulling me down to the ground with you… Are you trying to insist on something, big boy?"

"Uh, no. No, I just got dizzy, that's all," I said nervously.

Marisa took the container full of alcohol and bopped the short girl on the head with it. "Okay, okay. Enough messing with him. I already had to see him and that gate guard messing around with each other. Don't want to see you two going at it in front of me," she said.

I felt my face burn. "You saw that?!" I exclaimed.

"Of course I did. You were outside, dummy," Marisa said with a huff.

"Shame on you," Reimu said as she glared at me.

"So the guy likes to have some fun. Leave him be," the short girl said in my defense, which I was thankful for.

I had to change the subject and fast. "That's it! Your name! Give me your name!" I shouted at the girl.

The girl winced from my loud voice. "Jeez, don't yell!" The girl got off of me and stood up before lending me a hand and pulling me to my feet. "My name is Suika Ibuki! I'm an oni! Nice to meet you, vampire boy!"

 _Finally I got your name. And an oni, huh? She's cute for a demon._

"And as you already know, I'm Isaac. Nice to meet you," I greeted.

Suika took her container full of sake from Marisa. "We need to celebrate your arrival to Gensokyo! Even if it is a bit late," she said joyfully. She took a drink of sake then handed the container to me.

I happily took the container. "If this is all we have then it's going to get empty real quick," I said before taking a drink.

Suika shook her head. "Nope. Not gonna happen. The Ibuki Gourd will never run out of sake as long as water exists in the world," she said, and I just stared at her dumbfounded. "My gourd can turn water into sake."

My eyes lit up in surprise. "No shit? That's amazing!"

Suika grabbed her gourd back. "Damn right it is!" she said before drinking from the gourd.

"This is going to be a fun night," Marisa happily said as she patted me on the back. "I'm going to have to hold back on the drinking since I'll be flying us around."

"Ooo! I wanna go with you!" Suika exclaimed.

"Thank the gods…" Reimu said with a sigh of relief.

"Then let's leave this loser behind and get going. I know who we should bother next," Marisa said as she got on her broom, followed by me then Suika right behind me.

"Hey…" Reimu said dismissively.

And so we rose to the sky once more and took off across the night sky. With a third companion on board who just so happen to possess a container that can apparently create infinite alcohol, we were ready for a wild night. I was a bit worried about whom I would meet next, but that worry slowly turned into excitement as drunkenness took hold of me.


	22. Chapter 21 Graveyard Scuffle

After traveling through the cold night sky, Marisa, Suika and I finally make it to our destination. Apparently it was another temple, which Marisa called the Myouren Temple. Pretty amazing, even in my drunken state, to see all these different kinds of temples present in Gensokyo. This temple though was a bit more grand than Reimu's little temple. We landed right at the bottom of the steps leading up into the temple.

I hopped off the broom, as did Suika and Marisa. "Well, now! This place is big," I said with a bit of laughter.

"Nice, ain't it?" Marisa asked.

Suika took a drink from her gourd then wiped her lips of the excess alcohol. "Too big. Temples are supposed to be humble. But what do I know?" she said before taking another drink. She then handed it to me. I reluctantly took it and then drank from it. I then let out a loud belch.

"Nice," Suika said with a thumbs up.

"Well, that probably alerted people that we're here," Marisa stated.

I handed back Suika's gourd. I felt woozy, but still alert. "So we going in or what?" I asked.

Marisa put her hand up to her chin in a thinking pose. "Hmm… I was thinking about raid- err, visiting the Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum. What do you think, Suika?" she asked.

"Sounds good to me," Suika answered. A grin then appeared on her face. "We might have to fight our way inside." She made it sound like she was thrilled with the idea.

"A mausoleum? Now that sounds cool," I said.

"Then let's get a move on!" Marisa said excitedly.

As we walked, I observed the temple with a keen eye. It was absolutely stunning the more I looked at it. Made me more and more excited to see how this mausoleum was in comparison. Suika mentioned that we might have to fight our way inside which made me a tad worried considering both I and the oni were close to being quite drunk. We could barely walk straight as it was. Marisa, on the other hand, was doing okay. She led us to what I assumed was going to be the entrance to the mausoleum.

We made it to a graveyard that sat directly west of the temple. I silently apologized to the dead as we walked along their graves. We made our way through the graveyard and it wasn't too long by the time we came to what I was sure was the entrance to the mausoleum. There was someone standing right in front of the closed doors. I wondered if this person was someone we were going to need to fight to get inside. Looking from a distance, the person was a girl. A pretty girl, to be expected. The girl had pale skin such as my own which immediately made me think that maybe she was a vampire unrelated to the Scarlet sisters. But her dark blue eyes made me think differently. She also had dark blue hair while wearing a blue hat with a yellow star. There was something stuck to her forehead. An amulet of some kind? I wasn't sure. She wore a red shirt with a pink trim on the sleeves and a black skirt with the same trim wrapped around it. For some odd reason, she kept her arms out forward as she stood there.

Marisa shouted out to the girl. "Yo!"

The girl took notice of us. She eyed all three of us before settling on me. She then came running towards me. I was feeling dumb and decided to open my arms wide while holding onto a big smile, just ready to give the girl a big hug once she got into range. The girl didn't stop and ran into my grasp. She hit me hard enough to send me backward onto my back. She had grasped me back, holding on tight as we laid there on the ground. My smile widened thanks to the feeling of a pair of breasts pushing up against my chest.

"Well, hello to you too!" I exclaimed. "Guess you like to get up close and personal with your greetings, huh?"

As soon as I had spoken, I felt a sudden, excruciating pain on the side of my neck. Tears of pain rolled from my eyes then I let loose a terrible howl into the night sky. I immediately started to try and break out of the girl's grip.

"Gaaah! She's biting me! She's biting me! Get her off!" I shouted, but both Marisa and Suika were too busy laughing their little asses off to be of any help. "I'll kill you both!"

Then I heard it – the sound of ripping as the skin on the side of my neck was being stretched. Once it was stretched far enough, the girl tore a large chunk of flesh from my neck. She sat on top of me with the chunk of flesh in her bloodied mouth. She then drew the flesh into her mouth then gulped it down. Blood was gushing from my neck, but the terrible wound healed as fast as it was made, but the god awful pain remained. I shoved the girl off of me, sending her tumbling backwards. I quickly got to my feet then slapped Marisa and Suika across the back of their heads, silencing their laughter.

The girl got to her feet, arms out forward once again as she glared at me. "That hurt. What was that for?" she growled at me.

I was shocked by the question. "Are you stupid or something? You just bit a chunk of my neck off and ate it!" I bellowed.

The girl looked shocked herself. "I did? Then that would explain why there's blood on my mouth," she said before wiping her mouth off on her shirt.

Angry, I turned to Marisa and pointed at the girl. "Who the hell is she?" I demanded an answer.

Marisa smiled at me. "She's Yoshika Miyako. She's a jiang shi who guards the entrance to the mausoleum," she informed.

"A jiang what?" I asked.

"A zombie, basically."

I smirked at the word "zombie" and I was about to give the girl shit before remembering I too was an undead. At least I was a cooler type of undead.

I gave the girl a death stare. "Okay, Yoshika. Explain yourself. Why did you bite me all of a sudden?" I demanded.

The girl tilted her head to the side. "Who are you and what business do you have here?" she asked.

"Answer my question first, damn it!" I shouted with a temper.

Marisa tossed her arm over my shoulder. "This guy here is named Isaac. He's the new vampire in town. Heard of him?" she said.

Yoshika tilted her head to the other side. "A new vampire? Isaac? Why should I care?" she said.

"You're a rude dude," I stated irritably.

"Anyways," Marisa began, "We're here to visit the mausoleum. Care to let us in?"

"Nope. Not happening," the rude zombie girl said. She then looked to me again. "Who are you?"

I just stood there befuddled. I leaned towards Marisa and softly spoke. "Is she okay upstairs?"

"This is just the way she is," Marisa stated.

The dead girl took a step forward then stood up straight as can be with her chest puffed out. "I demand that you trespassers leave at once or I will remove you by force," she declared, her eyes looking for a fight.

"Well, there you have it," Suika said. She then shoved me forward. "Have at it, champ."

I stumbled forward right into Yoshika's arms. I almost knocked her over, but I caught her. We then found ourselves staring into each other's eyes. I actually thought about biting her in retaliation for her biting me, but the thought of biting into a zombie didn't sit well with me. Her eyes suddenly started to shine as her expression showed some sort of realization.

"You're a vampire, aren't you?" she asked me.

I took a step back to give the girl and myself some space then pinched the bridge of my nose. I let out a drawn out sigh. "Yes… Yes, I am…"

"And you're name?"

"It's Isaac! Stop forgetting things!" I shouted at the dumb girl, making her wince in response.

Marisa and Suika were snickering behind me. Apparently they were enjoying watching me deal with this forgetful zombie. But I wasn't going to deal with it any longer.

I turned around to face Marisa and Suika. "You two can obviously fight better than me so take care of her so we can go inside-"

Suddenly my senses kicked into high gear. The girl behind me thought she was being sneaky, but I felt her sudden aggression. I quickly twisted around to find the girl had lunged towards me, her mouth spread wide open to a gruesome degree, ready to tear into my flesh like she did before. A horrid hiss emanated from her mouth as she drew close to me. She aimed for my jugular, but I quickly dipped below her to avoid being bitten. I then swiped my leg under her feet in an attempt to trip her up, but she somersaulted backwards. She had caught me by surprise with her sudden evasion. She, at first, looked too stiff to be able to perform such a move, but she proved me wrong. The girl then pulled from her pocket a spell card and suddenly I was in a confrontation for my life.

"Poison Nail "Poison Raze"!" Yoshika declared.

The spell card burst into magical flames and a sudden wave of what I learned to be called danmaku came flying towards me. These danmaku were in the shape of kunai; a strange type of dagger I learned about from Meiling. I tumbled forward to avoid the first wave. The second wave I was forced to leap over. Each wave I avoided brought me closer to Yoshika, but every time I got within melee range, she would somersault backwards to avoid me. She landed atop a tall tombstone and launched a few waves of kunai all at once at me. Try as I may, I wasn't able to avoid all the waves and was struck by the third. The kunai stuck into me like a pincushion, knocking me back onto the flat of my back. Hurting, I quickly got back to my feet while pulling out all the kunai out of me.

"Turn back now!" the zombie girl demanded.

I was a little shaken up from her last attack. I wracked my brain on how I could get close to her. I only stood a chance if I could force her into melee combat. I did have a trump card, but I really did not want to waste it if I could avoid it.

I turned my head to Marisa and Suika in a search for help. "Hey, you two like to give me a hand sometime today?" I asked, only to find the two making their way into the mausoleum. I gritted my teeth as I growled angrily. "Hey, you fucks! Don't use me as a decoy!"

"Oh, no! I can't let anyone into the mausoleum! For reasons!" Yoshika exclaimed in a panic. She leapt from atop the tombstone she was standing on and down to ground level. She took off running towards the entrance of the mausoleum, completely forgetting about me.

"Damn those two," I said under my breath as I took off running as well, not wanting to be left behind.

Running behind the zombie girl, she sprinted into the entrance and down the stairs. But as soon as she did, an explosion erupted from inside the mausoleum. The explosion shook the ground, nearly knocking me off my feet. I stopped where I was and watched as the zombie girl was suddenly blasted out of the mausoleum. She went flying out into the further parts of the graveyard with a billow of smoke trailing her, disappearing into the distance.

"What the hell?" I said as I stood nervously.

Marisa and Suika, both covered in soot and smoke, came sprinting out of the entrance to the mausoleum. They both came running to me before jumping behind me.

"We were ambushed!" Marisa exclaimed.

"I nearly pissed myself," Suika said.

"Serves you both right," I said angrily.

Footsteps were heard coming up from the entrance of the mausoleum. Me and the two girls stood in wait for whoever the footsteps belonged to make their appearance. After a short moment, a woman with blue hair had exited the mausoleum. Her hair was tied in two loops with a rather large hair stick running through it. She wore a teal dress with flowery designs on it. She also wore a white and blue vest.

Marisa suddenly shoved me forward. "You defeated the guard now defeat the master!" she exclaimed.

"But I didn't-!"

Before I could finish my sentence, I stumbled forward right into the blue-haired girl's arms. My chest pressed against hers, leaving me feeling a nice sensation. I loved being pushed into the arms of beautiful girls and all, but I was about ready to kick Marisa in the ass. Suika too, for short measure.

I went to quickly back away from the woman, but she actually held onto me.

"Well, who do we have here?" she said with a smile. Now that I was up close, I could see that she possessed a set of very pretty blue eyes. They were captivating. The woman held me tighter, her chest pressing further into mine. "Oh, I think I can make an educated guess as to who you are, dear…" She had a beautiful voice to go along with the rest of her features. It was mystical. "You're the newborn vampire they call Isaac, are you not?"

I swallowed hard, feeling quite nervous from being so close to her face. "I am, Miss…?"

"I am Seiga Kaku. It is a pleasure to meet you, young man," she said before finally releasing me.

I stepped back then took a deep breath before slowly exhaling it all out. "Same here," I said.

"I see you wish to enter the mausoleum. But I'm afraid I cannot allow that. You defeated my servant and I must avenge her," Seiga said.

"That was all him," Marisa said, desperately wanting me to slap her I'm sure.

"I did not-"

"Oh, so this young vampire has some bite in him," Seiga said, followed by a mischievous chuckle.

"Like I was trying to say. I didn't defeat-"

"Then I will be your next opponent, Mister Isaac. If you wish to enter the mausoleum then you are going to need to go through me," the woman said as she pulled out a spell card.

"Wait! No! I'm not looking for a fight!" I shouted. I was too tired from my short scuffle with the zombie girl and too drunk to do any kind of real fighting. Especially not against this woman. She was clearly more powerful than the zombie girl so I stood no chance against her. "We're just here to talk!" I lied.

"Nonsense, Isaac! You can take her!" Suika shouted excitedly from behind me.

"You two be quiet!" I yelled at the two goof balls. I turned my attention back to Seiga. I needed to defuse the situation so I tried throwing out a lie. "Look, I really lick you. Oof!" I clasped my hands over my mouth the second I spoke.

"Tsk tsk tsk. You really are a dog, Isaac," Marisa said with disappointment in her voice.

"Nothing wrong with that!" Suika said with a jolly laugh.

Seiga just stared back at me with eyes wide open. She was obviously and understandably shocked.

I quickly collected myself. "I meant like! Like! Look, I'm drunk. Give me a break here," I tiredly begged.

Seiga continued to blankly stare at me before finally speaking. "I'll be declaring my spell card now," she said emotionlessly.

I then went into a full blown panic. "Shit! No, wait!"

Not slowing down in the slightest, she declared her spell card. "Evil Sign "Guhun Yegui"!"

In an explosion of magic, four glowing spheres followed by a string of smaller, teal spheres were launched towards me. My entire front lit up from all the mystifying light emitted by the danmaku. The four larger spheres came at me from all angles, leaving me with nowhere to run, leaving me no choice but to use _it_. As quickly as I could, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a spell card, one forged with the help of both Meiling and Patchouli.

"Metal Sign "Spiral Bullet"!" I declared.

In a burst of purple fire, my revolver materialized in my hand. I quickly took aim down the center of the incoming danmaku and pulled the trigger. Glowing purple, a single bullet came spinning out of the barrel. The second after it left the gun it split into thirteen bullets that spiraled around in a large circle. Each bullet left a trail of purple fire, scorching the air and the ground as the spiral of bullets travelled through the air. I had unleashed my spell card in the nick of time. My spell collided with Seiga's spell, exploding into magical fire upon impact. I dove for cover behind a tombstone to avoid the blast.

I shook some, feeling rather invigorated from the rush of magic running through my veins. Using a spell card actually felt wonderful. No wonder these chicks are quick to declare them. I would have stood up and declared my second spell card if I had one. It took some time to get the first one made and perfected. It may be a while before I have myself a full deck like these females seem to have.

Now that my trump card had been used up, I was left defenseless against the blue-haired woman. I said I was defenseless, but an idea on what to do next quickly popped into my head. I couldn't let the woman get her next spell card declared so, using my abnormal speed, I leapt over the tombstone I had hid behind and rushed Seiga. She had pulled out a second spell card and had opened her mouth to utter its name, but I was quick enough to stop her. I wrapped my arms around her, lifted her off her feet and squeezed. She gasped as I forced the air out of her lungs.

"H-Hey…! T-This isn't how you handle a woman, you know!" Seiga gasped.

With her captured in my grasp, I shouted to Marisa. "Marisa! Do that thing of yours!"

"Huh? What thing?" she asked stupidly.

"You know what the fuck I'm talking about! Just do it!" I bellowed.

I've seen Marisa use this amazing spell before. It was one of the most awe-striking things I have seen in Gensokyo. She's used it on Meiling quite a few times whenever she would try to break into the mansion. I was desperate for her to use it. The girl in my arms was struggling ferociously. She kept trying to declare her spell card, but I kept constricting her, leaving her breathless and unable to speak.

"Oh! That thing!" Marisa said as she pulled from her pocket a strange wooden, octagonal shaped device. "Are you trying to tell me to use it on you?"

"Yes!"

"Roger that!" Marisa happily responded. I hated how she didn't hesitate whatsoever. She took aim at me, a wide grin flashing across her face. I turned so Seiga was the one to be hit first, using her as a kind of shield. "You ready then? I know I am." The wooden device in her hands glowed an array of colors. She then thrust the device forward, yelling the attack's name. "Master Spaaaark!"

In a blinding explosion of light, a multi-colored beam of pure magic blasted from Marisa's wooden device. The beam grinded the ground beneath it as it traveled through the air. The air itself quaked and my ears rang from the mind-shattering sound the beam made. It was a devastating attack and I was about to make Seiga and I eat it. I braced myself for the impact by burying my face into Seiga's chest. It was barely even a second after Marisa fired the beam did it strike us. We were devoured by the beam in an instant and blown back across the graveyard. My skin was scorched by the beam worse than the sun's rays ever could, but it was over as quickly as it happened. My eyes could see nothing but bright white. My mind was in shambles, barely able to think. I thought I had died for a moment because I couldn't feel anything, but feeling came back to me after a few moments.

My eyesight slowly returned. I found that my face was still buried in Seiga's chest even though I was lying on the flat of my back. I realized then that she was lying on top of me, groaning in pain. I didn't mind the situation that I was in, but pain suddenly racked my body and I too groaned in pain. I gently pushed the woman off me, her body rolling off me and onto the ground. She continued to moan, seemingly only half conscious. I slowly sat up as I winced from the pain. It wasn't my brightest idea in the world, but looking at Seiga's current condition, it worked out.

Marisa and Suika ran up to me. "Man, you took that like a champ!" Suika excitedly said.

Marisa nodded in agreement. "He sure did. I held back only a little too," she said.

Seiga slowly sat up with a hand to her head. She looked awfully dizzy. "That… That was totally unfair. Who taught you how to fight like that, huh?"

"I'm weak compared to y'all so I have to improvise," I insisted.

Marisa laughed. "Yeah, he can't even fly."

"Shut it," I said crossly.

"That may be true, but that was an interesting spell card you used to block my own," Seiga said as she flashed me a smile. Then, with a single finger, she gently rubbed the bottom of my chin, sending a chill up my spine. "If you agree to serve me, I can teach you to fly… Among other things," she said with a wink.

In a little panic, I jumped to my feet. "Uh, no thanks. I already serve someone," I said.

Seiga faked a frown. "Oh, that's too bad. Maybe you should sleep on it?" she suggested and I promptly refused.

"Nope."

Suika took a drink from her gourd. "Now that's settled, the mausoleum is ours!" she declared.

"Not quite," Seiga said as she got up onto her feet once she felt able. "The others are awake, so if you go down there you will have to fight them as well."

I took Suika's gourd from her and took a big drink from it. "This mausoleum sounds like more trouble than it's worth. Isn't there somewhere else we can go that doesn't mean pointlessly fighting?" I said.

Marisa grabbed the gourd from my hands and took a drink herself. "Don't be such a puss. You can take them!" she said with a thumbs up for encouragement.

"Stop trying to get my ass kicked!" I shouted at her.

Seiga wrapped her arms around one of mine. She looked to Marisa and Suika. "Why don't you two go bother the fools at the Myouren Temple?" she said then made eye contact with me. "I'll happily give you a tour of the mausoleum if only you listen to what I have to say about Taoism and its wonders."

"Taoism?" I said questionably.

"Bullshit, basically," Marisa commented.

"Like I said… Why don't you two go somewhere else?" Seiga said, her anger visible in her expression.

"Nah, I better leave with them. We'll stop bothering you and go somewhere else," I said politely.

Suika opened her mouth to speak, but a hiccup came out instead. Seems the alcohol is starting to hit her too. She giggled. "Yeah, let's get out of here. We got all of Gensokyo to explore!" she happily said. I wasn't sure about the exploring all of Gensokyo part, but I did want to see somewhere new.

"Oh, alright, dear," Seiga said as she released me. "Come visit me so we can talk. Preferably when you are sober," she said with a beautiful smile.

"Will do," I said, smiling back.

Marisa signaled Suika and I to follow her out of the graveyard and so we did. We didn't get to see the inside of the mausoleum, but I did get to meet two new ladies (whatever happened to the zombie girl?). We set off to a new destination. I just hoped I would remember where it was that I was supposed to go before the nights end.


	23. Chapter 22 Temple Intrusion

Marisa, Suika and I didn't get very far in our travels. We literally went next door of the mausoleum we failed to get into. The Myouren Temple, as it was called, is where we went to. It was right there so why not? Though, I was awfully concerned with Marisa's intentions. She started to rave about how she wanted to collect things from the temple. I was weary by what she meant by that, but I just figured it was the alcohol talking. Once we got to the entrance of the temple, Marisa sprinted off into its dark interior with Suika happily chasing after her, with them both leaving me behind. I did think about waiting at the entrance till they got back, but drunken curiosity got the best of me. Thus, I ended up going inside the large temple with no idea where I was actually going. The darkness was no problem for me at least, but the size of the place left me with many options as to where to go. My goal was to find the two girls that bailed on me and drag them out of the place before being caught trespassing.

As quietly as a mouse, I explored the insides of the temple, peeking around and dodging into rooms from the slightest of sounds in order to hide from what I thought would be a resident of the place. I found a flight of stairs that headed up to a second floor so up I went. I peered into room after room, noticing that they were bedrooms. Some of the beds looked occupied so I dared not enter those ones unless I disturbed those sleeping there. I came to one room and suddenly I heard a voice coming from it. Curiosity blossomed.

I peeked my head in. "Marisa? Suika? Are you two in there?" I whispered. With no answer, but still hearing a soft voice, I entered the room against my better judgment.

Tip toeing my way in, I found a bed with a small individual sleeping in it. I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wanted to think it was because the alcohol had finally taking its toll on me, but what I was staring at was just as real as I was. It was a little mouse girl! The girl wore only a white t-shirt and a pair of underwear to bed. She had gray hair with ears of a mouse and right above her butt was the tail of a mouse.

"Oh, my god…" I softly said, still having a hard time with what I was seeing. But should I really be that surprised? I shouldn't be, but I couldn't help it.

"Mmm Shou, stop teasing me… Just let me eat it…" the girl mumbled in her sleep.

A smirk popped up on my face. Drunk or not, I was stupid enough to want to touch the girl's ears so I did. With a single finger, I reached over and gently rubbed the edge of her ear. It twitched in response. I rubbed some more and the ear twitched each time. The sleeping girl softly moaned as if enjoying the gentle rub I was giving her. Having fun with the girl's ears, I decided to itch the insides of them. This really made them twitch and a smirk had appeared on the girls face. She quietly chuckled in her sleep.

"Stop it, Shou. You really are getting me wild up…" the girl said.

I put a hand over my mouth to avoid laughing out loud. But my fun was over. I ceased messing with the girl, ready to get a move on and continue my search for Marisa and Suika. I got ready to leave, but a sudden, loud belch left my mouth.

"Good heavens," I said as I pounded my chest.

The mouse girl stirred in her sleep, moaning irritably. Her eyes then slowly opened, showing them to be red in color. She sat herself up in bed and rubbed her eyes. She then took notice of me standing there in her room. My feet were already ready to run out the door, but the girl and I were locked in eye contact like a deer caught in some headlights. The girl again rubbed her eyes before looking at me again. Her eyes then widened once she realized that I was an intruder. And then she let out a terrible shriek.

I clasped my hands over my ears to defend them from the horrible sound. "God! Shut up, kid! I'm not here to hurt you!" I yelled, trying to get my voice heard over the girl's shriek.

The girl finally silenced her shrieking. She pointed at me. "Who are you?! Why are you in MY room?! I swear to the heavens, if you don't answer me I'll be biting your gonads." The girl's face looked as if it were ready to pop.

I winced in response to the threat after getting a good look of her mouse-like teeth. My eyes then glowed, blanketing the room in red as I stared down the girl with a dreadful glare.

"I'm here to eat you, little girl," I said with a wicked grin.

Fear took over the girl's expression before she let out another shriek. Thankfully this shriek didn't last too long. "Wait a minute. You look like a vampire. Vampire's don't eat other youkai," she said.

"With you, cutie, I'll make an exception," I said then clicked my teeth together a couple of times.

The girl's face went red with anger. "Like hell you are!" she exclaimed then leapt at me, teeth bared.

"Oh, Jesus!" I exclaimed before leaping to the side to avoid being bitten into.

The girl landed on all fours then she faced me. "We'll see who eats who first, bitch!" she declared before leaping at me in another attempt to plow her fangs into me.

"Fuck!" I jumped onto the bed and to the other side.

She was quick with her second leap and she managed to jump over the entire bed at me. I caught the small girl and tossed her back onto her bed. I raced to the door in order to escape, but the girl proved even faster and grabbed the collar of my shirt, yanking me backwards. Drunk and tipsy, I fell backwards onto the bed. The girl jumped on me, pinning my arms and legs down. She let out a frightful, yet at the same time cute, hiss as she bared her fangs. I probably could have overpowered the girl with my supernatural strength, but with her being rather suggestively on top of me, that wasn't going to happen. I cracked a smile as I looked at her chest, noticing that her nipples were proudly bleeding through her shirt.

I looked up at the angry mouse girl. "Alright. You got me where you want me. Want me to start it off or do you want to?" I asked slyly before looking back at her small chest.

The girl looked quizzically at me before looking down at herself. Once she saw her own nipples peeking out through her shirt, her face went from red to a hot pink. She released my arms in order to wrap her own arms around her chest, letting out a shriek of embarrassment. With her distracted, I rolled over, knocking her over and onto her back with me now over top of her. Now that I was in the position of power, I let out a dark chuckle.

"The tables have turned, sweetheart. Now if I may, I'd like to try some of your mouse blood," I said.

The girl shivered as I closed the distance between my face and hers. I then went to her neck after breathing deeply into her ear. She whimpered in response, giving me delightful goosebumps. I never had my prey powerless like this before. It was a rather intoxicating rush. Being drunk was certainly the only reason why I was even doing this, sure, but I wouldn't be above trying this out on Sakuya sometime. Then again, she'd probably just kick my ass if I tried. I was willing to try it at some point anyways.

I wondered how the mouse youkai's blood would taste and I would have found out too if it wasn't for a sudden bite on my right side.

"Oooow! What the hell?!" I looked to my side to find a little critter biting my side. It was a mouse! And actual, literal mouse! Suddenly a second pain was felt on my left side. Then my right leg. Then my left leg. Soon enough, I found myself being attacked by a horde of mice!

"Get him, boys!" the mouse girl shouted.

I cried out in pain as I was engulfed by the flood of mice. I jumped out of the bed and onto my feet as I was chewed on all over the place. Without anything else I could do, I let out a small magical energy wave from my center, blasting the mice away. I made sure it wasn't a wave that would incinerate the poor little dudes, just enough to get them off of me.

The mouse girl grabbed a blanket and wrapped herself up with it, hiding her barely clothed form. "Hey! Don't do that to my mice!" she yelled at me.

With a moment of clarity from the influence of alcohol, I tossed my hands up into the air. "Hold on, I give up," I said.

"Huh?!" The girl was surprised with the sudden call for a cease in hostilities.

"Yeah, I might have drank a little too much and, uh, I was just messing with you. Honest to god, I didn't mean anything by it," I said sincerely.

The girl huffed at me. "You entered my bedroom without permission and assaulted me and now you expect me to forgive you?" she said.

"Hey, you assaulted me first," I stated.

"You threatened to eat me!"

"Well, you do look yummy," I said with a chuckle, only to back away as the girl stomped her way towards me, ready to punch me. "I kid! I kid!"

The girl stopped and tried to calm herself down with a few intakes and outtakes of air. She then peered into my eyes. "Who are you?"

"I'm Isaac. And you?"

"I am called Nazrin," the girl said as she placed her fists on her hips and stood up straight and proud. "Now explain to me why you are here."

"Well, I was sort of dragged here by two girls named Marisa and Suika," I said.

Nazrin rolled her eyes. "Marisa, huh? Well, that explains more than I'd like," she said.

"They entered this temple and I was looking for them when I stumbled upon your room. I thought I had heard them, but it was just you talking in your sleep."

She blushed. "I-I talk in my sleep?!" she exclaimed.

"Yup."

"W-What did I say?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't recall."

"And you better not ever. You understand me?"

"Yes, yes. I get it."

Suddenly, a loud explosion was heard from within the temple. The floor beneath us rumbled, nearly sending us to our knees. Another explosion quickly followed the first. I could sense the use of magic being used coming from the first floor so that's where I rushed to. I got to the stairs and stopped at the top. Looking down, I could see Marisa fighting with two people, both of them girls because apparently guys rarely exist in this world. The first girl had light purple, wavy hair and she wore what looked like a nun's habit. She wore a white dress with a blue trim at the bottom and at the sleeves. The second girl had light brown hair that faded to purple at the top. She wore a black and white dress. Marisa was carrying a bag full of stuff over her shoulder as she unleashed waves of danmaku at her attackers. I can only assume the worse as to what it was inside that bag.

A sudden chill ran up my spine, alerting me to a presence behind me. I quickly turned around to find something quite odd. What was it? It was a cloud. A pink cloud with a face. The face was that of an old man with a beard. I was absolutely stunned, but I found the cloud to be awesome.

The cloud just stared at me. It was an oppressive stare to say the least. With some time in silence going by, I finally decided to say something.

"Um, sup? My name's Isaac. I'm a vampire from the Scarlet Mansion," I said. I held a hand out in an attempt to shake the thing's hand even though I didn't see it to possess any hands. The cloud just continued to stare at me, as if judging me. I sighed in defeat. "Right… I am an intruder, but only because I was dragged here by that blonde girl in the witches uniform." The cloud, seemingly considering my words, gave me a nod after some thought. It seemed to understand me and let me off the hook.

The mouse girl, Nazrin, decided to appear. She was now wearing a black one-piece with pink sleeves and a small gray cape covering her shoulders. She ran up to me and the cloud thing.

"Unzan, don't just float there. Punch that guy!" she demanded.

I turned to the cloud. "So Unzan is your name? That's cool. It's nice to meet you," I said happily. From his form formed a hand that then gave me a thumbs up. I really liked this cloud.

"Don't be friends!" Nazrin shouted, frustrated.

"I said I was sorry. What else do you want from me?"

"I want your gonads on a silver platter!"

"Leave my gonads out of this!"

Nazrin and I were suddenly bonked on the top of our heads by Unzan. He then grabbed one of our hands and forced them together, forcing the mouse girl and I to shake hands. I didn't mind, but Nazrin was less than pleased. She ripped her hand from mine, earning another bonk to the head from the cloud person. I couldn't help but laugh.

Nazrin rubbed her sore head. "Damn it, Unzan, we have a crisis on our hands right now, don't you see?" she said.

"It'll be alright, Nazrin," someone else said.

I turned towards the voice to find a blonde girl making her way towards us with the little oni in tow. The girl had black stripes in her hair. She wore a strangely shaped ornament on top of her head and a dress of burgundy, orange and white color. She had a tiger pattern around her stomach. She also wore frilly pants under her dress. A very fine looking woman I must say.

"Ah, Miss Shou!" Nazrin exclaimed.

"Hello, Nazrin. Mind introducing me to your friend here?" the woman, apparently named Shou, said kindly.

"He's not my friend!" Nazrin loudly said, flustered.

"Hello, I'm Isaac. Really sorry for the intrusion," I said then looked down at the drunken oni. "So, what happened to you?"

Suika belched before speaking. "What's it look like, silly? I was caught!" she said.

"I'm surprised you didn't choose to fight like Marisa did."

"Didn't feel like it," she said as she held her gourd to her lips. She then held the gourd up to Shou. "Have some, kitty cat!"

"Don't tempt me," Shou said. She then focused her attention on me. "So you're the newborn vampire we've heard about. Miss Byakuren would absolutely love to meet you."

"And Byakuren is?" I asked.

Shou pointed to one of the ladies currently fighting Marisa. "That one is Miss Byakuren. The other is Ichirin," she stated.

"I see," I said. Doubt I'll be able to remember all of these names.

One of the three girls fighting unleashed a large wave of circular danmaku that blossomed outward. The danmaku covered nearly every inch of the place. They even came flying towards us, forcing us to duck for cover. Unzan got in front of us and acted as a shield, taking a large amount of danmaku head on. Once the wave of danmaku ended, we all stood back up.

"Thank you, Unzan. That was well appreciated," Shou said.

Unzan turned to face us, now somehow with soot on his face. He gave us all a thumbs up. Big dude of little words it seems.

"Miss Shou, we should assist in taking down Marisa," Nazrin said.

"That won't be necessary," Shou said as she pointed at Marisa.

Looking at Marisa, I could easily tell that she was falling to exhaustion. As fast as she was, she was slowing down as fatigue grasped her, causing her dodging skills to drop. If one of the other ladies were to force close combat then she would probably be finished. And that's exactly what happened. The woman named Byakuren quickly closed the distance between them and got in a gut punch, knocking Marisa off of her broom and sending her to the floor. She crash landed and was left squirming in pain. I decided then to run down the stairs and to her side. I was followed by everyone else.

"Ouch," I said as I approached Marisa who was sitting up, holding onto her pained gut. "That must of hurt like hell. You alright?"

"Been better…" she said breathlessly.

Byakuren landed in front of Marisa, followed by the other lady, Ichirin. "Well, it serves you right, Miss Marisa," Byakuren said. "How many times does this make it now?"

"I wasn't keeping track…" Marisa said. I lend her a hand to help her to her feet.

"Then let this be yet another lesson for you," Byakuren said. She then took notice of me and when she did, her face lit right up. She ran up to me and grabbed hold of both my hands, holding them tightly. "Oh, my! Could it be? Are you the newborn vampire named Isaac?" she said.

"Yup, that's me," I answered nervously.

"It's such a pleasure to finally meet you! I have wanted to meet you ever since I heard about you from the tengu. Thank you for visiting our fair temple. Though, during the day would have been preferable. Then again, you are a vampire so I suppose it's okay," she said.

"Yeah, blame this girl for dragging me here," I said.

"Now don't pin this all on me," Marisa said brashly. "You came willingly!"

"Let's be real… I have no idea where I am going and can only go where you lead me. So it's your fault," I said.

"Bullshit it is!" Marisa complained.

"You broke into my room! You're just as guilty!" Nazrin announced.

"You're still going on about that?" I asked. "I told you I was sorry. Blame the oni for getting me drunk."

"You're just going to blame everyone else but yourself, aren't you?" Suika said.

"Anything to make me look like the good guy here in front of these people," I stated honestly.

"I'm sure you're a good man," Byakuren said kindly. She turned to the girl named Ichirin. "Where are my manners? This here is Ichirin."

Ichirin gave me a slight bow of respect. "Greetings, young man," she said with a smile. Right behind her materialized Unzan. "And this here is Unzan."

"Yup, we met," I said as I gave Unzan a thumbs up and he returned the gesture.

"Looks like you've already met Shou and Nazrin," Byakuren said.

"Indeed," Shou said.

"Unfortunately…" Nazrin said. I started to rub one of her ears in retaliation for being so sour towards me. She blushed as she swatted me away. "Don't touch me!"

"I'd introduce you to the others, but they seem not to be awake," Byakuren said.

"Probably just too lazy to get out of bed, even after all that noise," Nazrin stated.

Marisa fixed her hat then spoke up. "Well, now that we got the greetings out of the way, I think we have overstayed our welcome," she said, seemingly still upset about her defeat.

"Yeah, I think we have," I said. "Sorry that Marisa tried to take your stuff."

"Oh, don't worry about that, dear. We've dealt with her before. Even if anything is stolen from us, we have Nazrin here to help locate the items for us," Byakuren said as she stood behind Nazrin and placed her hands on the mouse girl's shoulders.

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What's so special about her, other than being a mouse girl?" I asked.

Shou stepped in. "She can locate missing items. It's a special ability of hers," she said.

Byakuren nodded. "So if you have a lost item, I'm sure Nazrin here would be willing to help you," she said.

"Why on earth would I help him after what he did?" Nazrin said angrily.

After what I had just heard, at first it didn't seem all that interesting, but the clock in my head started ticking. After a moment of just staring blankly at the mouse girl, an alarm went off inside of my head. My whole body tensed up at the realization. My body hurt because it was so tense. I couldn't believe it. It was as if God himself had handed me the keys to the Heavenly Kingdom.

"I can't believe it…" I muttered.

Marisa tilted her head. "Hm? What's wrong, buddy?"

I pointed an assertive finger directly at Nazrin. "She's the key. She's the fucking key to everything. By God, I can't believe it."

By either the grace of God or just dumb luck, I was given the ability to find the last two glowing nails. With Nazrin's help, I can find the missing nails and make sure not a single one of them ever falls into the hands of a person with green hair. My dream wouldn't come to past and the ability to make sure was staring right at my face.

I ran up to Nazrin, my face close to hers. She blushed in reaction. "H-Hey, don't get so close, weirdo," she said.

"I need your help," I said in a demanding tone.

"How's it feel to want?" she said brazenly.

"I will be your bitch slave if you help me find the items I need. It's a life or death situation," I said, though I was lying about the whole slave thing.

Nazrin suddenly had a peak of interest. "Oh, really now?" she said slyly.

"My, he does sound serious, Nazrin. Why don't you give him a hand?" Byakuren said encouragingly.

"I do not like you," Nazrin said to me.

"You've made that pretty clear," I said tiredly.

"But it seems you are quite desperate," she said as she placed her hands on her hips and stuck her chest out. Smiling greedily, she let out a chuckle. "Maybe if you get on your knees and beg me then I will help you," she said.

In an instant, I fell to my knees in front of her. "For all that is good in the world, help me find these glowing nails," I said in desperation. I wasn't fucking around with this. The faster I get those nails the safer Lady Remilia will be.

"Fu fu, now tell me how much you need me and how great I am," the condescending mouse girl said.

I gritted my teeth. "I need you greatly and you're so wonderful that I want to fuck you," I said.

The mouse girl's face went a deep red. "Eeeeh?! Don't say things like that out loud!" she exclaimed in a panic.

"Oh, you lucky girl," Byakuren said with a slight blush and a little chuckle.

"Don't tease me, Miss Byakuren!" Nazrin said.

"I did what you asked, so will you help me already? This is very important," I said as I got back on my feet.

Nazrin let out a haughty huff. "Fine. But I'm taking up your offer to be my servant if I help you find one of these nails you want so badly," she said.

"Whatever," I said as I rolled my eyes. Once I get the nails, this mouse girl can kiss my ass.

"Well, this was unexpected," Marisa said. "Not sure I can fit four people on my broom though."

"That's alright. Nazrin can sit on my lap," I suggested.

"Like hell I will!" Nazrin yelled angrily.

"I'll sit on your lap, Isaac!" Suika exclaimed happily.

"Heh, sure," I said with a smile.

With a new companion with us, Marisa, Suika, Nazrin and I headed out of the temple, but not before giving our farewells to the others. Byakuren strongly insisted that I visit the temple again real soon. She said she has much that she could teach me. I think I'll take her up on that offer. After seeing the way she fought, it would probably be beneficial to learn how to fight from her. But for now, my number one concern was finding those nails. At this point in time, if I have to kill someone in order to get a hold of one of those nails then so be it.


	24. Chapter 23 Bamboo Strife

Now that I had a tool (in the form of a cute little mouse youkai named Nazrin) that could help me find the last two glowing nails, I couldn't be in a better mood. The only fear I had was that the remaining nails may not be in Gensokyo. But this rather ominous sense I had made me feel that the nails were indeed within Gensokyo, leaving me confident. I was anxious to find the last two nails not just because it would mean my dark dream wouldn't come true, but that I was sure Lady Remilia would be very proud of me and this act of service would show her that I was indeed forever in her servitude and that maybe it would erase my sins of the past. I was eager to show just how loyal I was to Remilia. Showing the others of the mansion my loyalty was also a goal of mine. I wanted to cement my place within the Scarlet Devil Mansion once and for all.

Me, Marisa and Nazrin had landed right outside of what was simply called the Human Village. Suika, unfortunately, had passed out and had fallen off the broom while we were flying. I tried to get Marisa to turn around to retrieve her, but she insisted Suika would be fine on her own. Not that we had to fly far from the Myouren Temple so maybe Suika would show up somewhere. Though more than likely she's sleeping where ever she fell.

Marisa and I followed close behind Nazrin who now had a pair of dowsing rods in her hands. I had given her the exact description of the first glowing nail I found so that she could hopefully find the other two. We made our way through the streets of the Human Village. I would have been looking around the place had it not been for another distraction. The tail of the mouse girl and the cute butt it was attached to was what had my full attention. The tail waved as if it had a mind of its own and my eyes couldn't help but follow it as it went back and forth. After an intense stare off with the tail, I finally decided to grab a hold of it. I reached my hand out to give the tail a little tug, but just before I could touch it, it had whipped me across the face.

"Gah!" I cried out, nearly tumbling backwards. My left cheek now stung something fierce.

"Don't touch me," Nazrin said nonchalantly.

Marisa merely giggled. "It's not just your tail he wants, but that butt of yours also," she said before giving Nazrin a smack on the ass.

Nazrin went to her tippy toes. "Eeek!" She turned around, face beating red. "What do you think you're doing, Marisa?!" she angrily asked.

"Just felt like getting a feel in," Marisa said with a golden smile.

"Well, that's not fair," I stated with a pout. "I want to get a feel too."

"Touch me and this rod is going up your ass!" Nazrin warned viciously.

Marisa giggled once more then turned to me. "I'm surprised you're not that interested in the Human Village, Isaac," she said.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Eh… It's called the _Human_ Village. What can I honestly expect from it?" I said.

"Well, I thought that maybe you would have some thoughts about your past being in a human village," she said.

"Hmm… Well, I don't remember much about my past and I prefer it that way," I stated.

"Do you ever have any regrets in becoming a vampire?" she asked.

"I told you already didn't I? I didn't have a real choice in the matter," I said. And I'll be honest. The way the embrace happened between me and Remilia still irks me to this day. Though, I like to think that Remilia just really wanted to turn me.

"Really? I thought you two were, you know, doing it when it happened," Marisa said. Nazrin, though she was acting like she wasn't paying any attention to us as we walked, her ear had twitched in interest.

"Oh, for crying out loud," I said with a face palm. "No, for the umpteenth time, we were not in the act. Tired of telling people that."

"You two are making it very hard for me to concentrate," Nazrin stated.

"Sorry," I said. I then took notice for the first time all the stares we were getting from the few people who were walking the night streets. I leaned in close to Marisa. "You see that?"

"Yes, yes. You're a youkai. A vampire one at that, so you're going to get stares like that whenever you come to this village. Not everyone here likes youkai," Marisa said.

"I see…" I said. "Nice place though. I guess this is the place Sakuya goes shopping."

"Yeah. You can also find people here who wandered into Gensokyo from the Outside World," she said.

"Really?! That's cool. I would actually like to meet some of those people," I said.

"You probably will in time so be patient," she said.

After a while of walking, we came to the edge of the village and stopped when Nazrin stopped. I'm going to have to travel here to the Human Village sometime with Sakuya. Not that I mind being around youkai anymore, but being around normal human beings is a nice thing. I guess you could say that I miss being a human, but that's something that I'm sure will fade with time.

I walked up next to Nazrin and placed my hand atop of her head. "So what's the hold up?" I asked.

Nazrin quickly swatted my hand away. "The trail to your missing nail leaves the village and out into that direction," she said as she pointed forward. "We might have a long walk ahead of us."

"Hmm… If we go on in that direction for long, we'll be hitting the Bamboo Forest of the Lost," Marisa informed.

"Love the place already," I said sarcastically.

"Well, that's where the trail leads," Nazrin said. "So if you want that glowing nail then we have to go through it."

"Hey, I'm all for it if it means me getting a hold on another nail. So lead the way, Minnie," I said.

"That's not my name!" Nazrin yelled at me.

We continued onward on our journey, leaving the Human Village behind. It was a long walk, but eventually we came upon a forest of bamboo. Just by looking at it I could tell that it would be very easy to get lost inside the forest. The name of the place was not lying.

"Well, in we go," Marisa said and in we went.

Nazrin lead us into the bamboo forest. We traveled for a good amount of time, but there seemed to be no end to the forest. I was already spooked by the place and now I was sure that Nazrin may not exactly know where to go. It seemed like she was taking us around in circles, so I spoke up.

"Hey, Nazrin," I said. "Do you know where you are going?"

The mouse girl's cheeks flared up, obviously insulted by the question. "Of course I do. The trail is strong so all we need to do is continue following it," she said.

"Are you sure?" Marisa also spoke up. "I could have sworn I saw that broken bamboo before."

"I'm sure I'm sure," Nazrin said confidently. "Just be patient."

"I have to say it… The bamboo forest is tricking you," someone not of our group said.

We turned around to find a lady standing behind us. She had long white hair and red eyes. She wore a light brown shirt and a strange pair of pants with straps going over her shoulders. All over her pants appeared to be red and white charms randomly placed on it. Her hair was also tied up with these same charms. I wish there were more words in the English language to describe how pretty these girls I meet are.

I was the first to greet the girl. I walked up to her and held out my hand. "Hello! I'm Isaac and these two are Marisa and Minnie," I said.

"It's Nazrin, you shmuck!" Nazrin yelled.

The girl had her hands in her pockets and kept them there despite me looking for a hand shake so I eventually dropped my hand in rejection. "I'm Fujiwara no Mokou. Just call me Mokou," she said. "I already know who those two are, but you're a new one." She held a stern expression as she stared into my eyes. "I've heard about you from that tengu. You're the newly born vampire, am I correct?"

"I am," I answered.

"What brings a devil from the Scarlet Mansion all the way out here?" Mokou asked.

"What? No 'Hello, Marisa!' or anything?" Marisa said, but Mokou continued to ignore her. Her attention was fully on me.

"Well?" Mokou said in a demanding tone. What is up with this girl?

"I'm looking for something. Nazrin here is helping to look for it, but she seems to have gotten us lost," I said.

"I'm not lost!" Nazrin pouted.

Mokou nodded. "I see. Well, you're not going to get anywhere by going around in circles so I'll lead you to Eientei and you can restart your search from there," she said.

 _Eientei? Where have I heard that word before? Eientei… Eientei…_

I then remembered. "Oh! Shit, I needed to go to a place called Eientei to get Sakuya some medicine! Damn it, I got so caught up with the nails that I had totally forgotten," I said.

"Whoops! I had forgotten you wanted to go there too. Hee hee," Marisa said with a bashful giggle.

"Well, you're in luck," Mokou said. "I know exactly how to get there." She started to walk in a direction before looking over her shoulder at us. "Well, come on. Follow me," she said. And we did just as we were told.

After another lengthy walk, we finally made it to our destination – apparently Eientei. What I saw there was astounding. Little rabbit girls everywhere! No joke, they had the ears and tails of a rabbit! They were running around the outside of a building doing odd jobs here and there. All I wanted to do right then and there was to grab one of the rabbit girls and hug them to death. Maybe I should do just that.

I gleefully ran up to one of the girls. She stopped what she was doing and stared curiously up at me. She looked at me with wonder as I too to her. With my hands nearly reaching out for the soft looking rabbit ears on their own, I spoke to the girl.

"Hello! I'm Isaac!" I greeted cheerfully. "Would… Would you mind if I touched your ears? I wanna see if they're real."

The girl just continued to stare at me until a realization suddenly hit her. Her eyes went wide open. "Oh, my gosh! It's a vampire! And he wants to eat me! Help!" she shouted then ran away from me.

I stood there confused before going into a panic. "Wha- Wha?! N-No! I'm not going to eat you! Come back!" I shouted for the little rabbit girl. She stopped, turned around then stuck her tongue out at me before running off. "Well, that's just rude."

"You're being rude, dummy," Nazrin said.

I then noticed all the rabbit girls had come to a halt and were staring at me. The stares were ominous and suddenly I was afraid. Maybe even petrified. But I stood my ground. I mean, what could a bunch of small little rabbit girls possibly be able to do to me, a vampire? Then it happened; they all went into a mad sprint towards me.

"Get him before he eats us all!" one of the rabbit girls shouted.

I took a step backwards in fright. "Wa-Wait a minute here. I'm not here to eat anyone. I just… Oh God…"

Before I could do anything, they had all dog piled me. I suddenly found myself trapped under a pile of little rabbit girls, their fluffy ears all over me. It wasn't a bad way to go, I guess. There was so much I needed to do, but, alas, this was the end for me. I closed my eyes and let my consciousness drift away from me. It was over.

Not.

With a burst of strength, I blasted all the girls off of me with a roar to the heavens. I was free of their fluffiness. They all landed all around me, hitting the ground with a thump. After a moment, they all slowly got back to their feet as they rubbed their sore heads and butts. They all got into a defensive position as they glared at me. I got into my fighting stance, ready to fight the horde of bunny girls. Why were we fighting? Hell if I know.

At that moment before any sort of fighting could happen, another, bigger girl with rabbit ears and tail came out of the building. She had long light-purple hair and red eyes. She wore a black long-sleeved shirt over a white shirt and wore a beige skirt. Now this girl was sexy looking for sure. Seeing all the smaller rabbit girls circling me, she clapped her hands to get their attention.

"Oy, none of that, now," she said in a raised voice. "If these guests are causing trouble then I'll take care of them. You all get back to work."

With the order given, the little rabbit girls went on to doing whatever it was they were doing before attacking me. I sighed in relief, thankful to the sexy looking rabbit lady for getting them off my back. With no more trouble, I walked up to the bunny girl and held out my hand.

I smiled. "Sorry for the commotion. I didn't think I'd trigger them the way I did," I said.

The girl took my hand happily and we shook hands. "Yeah, they get like that sometimes when a strange youkai shows up suddenly. Especially a vampire. You must be who they call Isaac. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said with a firm smile. "I am Reisen Udongein Inaba. Just call me Reisen." I couldn't help but stare at her ears. They looked so nice!

"Heh… I guess it isn't a bad thing to be well known around Gensokyo, but I do admit that it's sort of embarrassing," I said.

Marisa suddenly clinged to my arm with a bright smile. "Don't be, buddy. A new vampire is just such a surprise around here that everyone wants to get to know you," she said.

"Surprising, yes, but also a tad worrisome," Mokou said as she approached along with Nazrin.

"Oh, it's not a big deal," Marisa argued.

"Yes, I heard before about how having a new vampire under Lady Remilia makes her more powerful, but I doubt she'll do anything with it other than defend herself. So no need to worry," I stated.

"One can wonder…" Nazrin chimed in.

Reisen clapped her hands again to get our attention. "I suppose all of you came here for a reason, correct?" she asked.

"Yeah, I need medicine for a friend of mine. She's pretty ill," I said.

"For the maid, I presume?" Reisen said.

"Yup."

Reisen nodded. "Then follow me. We will go see Master Eirin."

I nodded in agreement. Reisen turned and entered the large building, with Marisa darting forward close behind her. I went to follow, but someone tugged at my shirt. I turned to see that it was Nazrin.

"The trail is most powerful here. Your missing nail may well be inside there somewhere," Nazrin said.

I went wide eyed. "Are you serious?" I asked and she nodded in answer.

"I will remain out here while you get it," Nazrin said.

"I don't know what you two are talking about, but I will be remaining out here also so don't be long," Mokou said.

"Alright then," I said before making my way inside the building.

The second I took a step inside the building, a sudden, ominous feeling inside my gut almost overwhelmed me. It forced me to a halt. This feeling was not new. I've felt it before. It was when I was in the home of that flower youkai. That feeling led me into finding the first glowing nail. Nazrin was right. The nail IS inside this building somewhere. I clenched my fists as determination burned within me. The second glowing nail was within my grasp and soon I will have it. It's just a matter of time now. With a huff, I quickly made my way down the hallway, catching up to Reisen and Marisa.

The building was that of an old style Japanese home. It was a large home, with many corridors going in different directions and rooms on either side. I assumed most were bedrooms for all those little rabbit girls. After a short stroll we came to what appeared to be a waiting room. I guess this is where their pharmacy was located. Kind of strange to have a pharmacy inside of a home, but I didn't question it.

Reisen gestured us to sit down in one of the many seats lining the walls. "I will get Master Eirin. You two wait here, please," she said.

I did as I was told, as did Marisa, and Reisen disappeared into the next room. Marisa tapped me on the shoulder to get my attention.

"Want to know something cool?" Marisa asked.

"Sure," I said with a nod.

"That girl and the pharmacist are from the moon," she said.

"Pfft. Sure, whatever," I said, completely disregarding her comment.

"It's true! Reisen is a moon rabbit. The rabbits you saw outside are Earth rabbits," she said.

"I believe the Earth part, but I don't believe you on the moon one," I said.

Marisa pouted, clearly upset with my disbelief. "Just ask them when you see them. There's even a self-proclaimed moon princess living here."

"Hmph. I'll ask, but I still don't believe you."

"With all you've seen, is the idea of people living on the moon such a big deal?"

"It's simply not possible," I stated, not giving Marisa an inch.

"You should even ask your master. She's been there."

"Now I know you're bullshitting me."

In the middle of our conversation, Reisen appeared from the other room with a woman following her. The woman had long silver hair with a braid in the back. Her eyes were a dark gray. She wore a blue and red dress with little white dots littering it. She also wore what looked like a nurse's cap. She clearly was the pharmacist. A very beautiful pharmacist.

I stood up to greet the woman. "Hello. I'm Isaac. I'm the one asking for medicine," I said.

The woman smiled at me. "I know who you are, young vampire. And I must say that I'm very excited to have you here. I am Eirin Yagokoro. It is a pleasure to finally meet you," she said.

"Likewise," I said, returning the smile.

"Reisen here has told me what you need. I am more than happy to get the medicine for you, but then you and I are going to have a nice chat together. I hope you do not mind," Eirin said.

"Nah, not at all," I said, curious as to what she would want to talk to me about.

Her smile grew a bit larger. "Good! Just wait here then while I get the medicine for the maid," she said.

"Will do."

Eirin gave me a nod then entered the next room to where I presumed was the pharmacy. Reisen followed close behind her. With that said and done, it was time for me to go find that glowing nail.

I turned to Marisa. "You stay here. I'll be back," I told her.

"Eh? Where do you think you are going?" Marisa asked.

"I'm going to go find that nail. So wait for me here. If they come back before I do, just tell them I went looking for the bathroom or something," I said.

"The nail is here?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I can feel it," I said. "I'll be right back." I left the waiting room and began my search for the second glowing nail. It may not be an easy feat considering the size of the place, but I was determined to get my hands on that nail.

I started with one corridor and searched each and every single room that I came across. The corridor emptied into another corridor so I went ahead and searched the rooms there as well. I searched quickly and earnestly, but I came up with nothing. The feeling in my gut didn't get any more intense or less intense as I moved around the building. It already felt as if the glowing nail was right there in my face. There was no real trail for me to follow. All I knew was that the nail was somewhere in the building and I was ready to flip the building upside down in order to find that blasted nail. After searching room after room after room, I came to a particular room and stepped inside. When I did, my heart skipped a beat.

"It's here," I quietly said.

The room was dark and foreboding, but that didn't stop me from going inside. My attention immediately went to a counter built into the wall. All along it was what looked like different yet equally fantastic artifacts. I looked at each one, studying it for a moment before moving onto the next. I then came to what was a small pillow. And atop of it sat what I was looking for – a glowing white nail. I inhaled strongly from the sight before exhaling in relief. Finally. Finally I found the second piece of the three nails that I'm looking for. Lady Remilia will be so proud when I present it to her. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she sees the nail in my hand. I already knew what reward I was going to ask for too. I didn't hesitate in taking the nail and stuffing it into my pocket. Yes, I realize that I was literally stealing from these people who were giving me the medicine for Sakuya, but I didn't care. As far as I am concerned, these glowing nails belonged to me before time even began. So, with the nail now in my possession, I went to take my leave. But, suddenly, I felt a presence within the room. I have no idea how I didn't notice it before. I must have been too focused on finding the nail to notice.

I turned around to see a woman standing at the end of the room. She wore a pink shirt with many white bows. She also wore a long, dark burgundy skirt decorated with yellow flowers. Even in the dark, I could tell that her eyes were a dark brown color. She had very long, black hair. Yet another beauty to meet.

The woman let out a big yawn. I must have awakened her. "Greetings, young man. You seem to be lost," she said.

Nervous, I stood my ground. "Yeah, I guess you could say that," I lied.

The girl chuckled. "Then again, you were awfully quick in taking one of my treasured items," she said. "What makes you think you can enter the bedroom of a princess and steal one of her treasures?"

Boy was I nervous, but I needed to be blunt with this girl. This may lead to a fight, but I had no other choice.

"No offence, but this item belongs to me. It has since whenever it was created," I said stubbornly.

The girl chuckled some more. "My, my… You are quite bold. But do you even know what that item is?" she asked.

"Something very dangerous. That's why I need it to keep it out of the hands of someone evil."

"You seem to be quite clueless to its power and origins. But you are right… It could be quite dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands," she said.

"So we're in agreement?" I asked, knowing full well this woman was not about to let me go with the nail.

The woman giggled as she shook her head. "I have wanted to meet you since the day I heard about your existence, young Isaac. But I never would have expected you would steal from me and without a shred of remorse. Just how exactly is that little vampire raising you?" she said before giggling some more.

She was being condescending. I don't think I like this woman. "Sorry, but that's just how it is. These nails belong to me and that's final." I was prepared for a fight.

"So you know there's more than one nail in existence?"

"Yes. Three to be exact. I already have another one."

The girl looked surprise at the news. "Goodness gracious. You must have been really busy. Finding not one but two of those nails." Her smile grew ominous. "But I'm afraid I won't be allowing you to keep that nail. And perhaps I will take the one you already have as well. You're too foolish to be holding such powerful items. That vampire already tipped the balance of power by simply creating you. Now she wants these nails of divinity as well? Such arrogance."

I shook my head in defiance. "I don't think that'll be happening," I said.

"Oh, goodness me. I forgot to introduce myself. Excuse my rudeness," she said. "I am Kaguya Houraisan, and I'll be taking back my nail now. I will make you bow before a princess," she said.

Suddenly, I felt magic emanate from Kaguya and she quickly lounged for me, throwing out a jab at my face. I dodged to the right, avoiding the strike. With surprising speed, she kneed me in the gut then uppercuted me, knocking my backwards. I remained on my feet and then threw myself forward, throwing my head towards the girl. I landed a hard headbutt to her forehead, knocking her backwards in pain. I went to tackle her to the ground, but with a magic empowered right hook, she caught me in the jaw. The impact of her first scorched the skin where she hit me. It healed a second after it was damaged of course, but the pain remained and it infuriated me. I grabbed her by the neck then through her to the floor. I then went to stomp on her head in order to crush it, but she rolled away. Before she could get up, I quickly got behind her and wrapped my arm around her neck, putting her into a head lock. She began to struggle, but I held fast. Eager to end this fight, with one quick twist, I snapped her neck with a sickening pop. It was done. I released her body and it fell limp to the floor.

Tired from the struggle, I sighed in relief. "It had to be done," I told myself.

I was saddened that I had to end a life, but I was content with the outcome. I had gotten a hold of another glowing nail and that's all that mattered at that moment in time. Now it was time to get out of this place before someone found out what I had done. Hopefully the medicine for Sakuya was ready and waiting for me too.

I went to leave the room, but a sudden chuckle that caused my skin to crawl froze me in place. There was only me and a corpse in the room, so the chuckle couldn't possibly have come from the corpse, but when I turned around, I saw that the corpse was standing there. Its head was dangling off its neck, and it was smiling at me creepily. A cold shiver ran throughout my body. The corpse then took its head and snapped it back in place with yet another sickening pop. I don't know how, but this woman named Kaguya was more than what she seemed.

"And where do you think you are going, hm?" Kaguya spoke.

I glared at her. "What the fuck are you?" I said.

"I was once the princess of the Lunarians. And after drinking what was called the Hourai Elixir, I became immortal. So your attempts at murdering me were in vein. Too bad, so sad," she said then laughed in spite of me.

I couldn't believe what she said, but it was hard to refuse what I had witnessed. Trembling in the face of something I could not kill, I sprinted out of that room. But the moment I took a step out of the room, I tripped over something. What a clumsy thing to do at such a critical moment. I went face first into the floor before hastily getting back up. I looked to see what I had tripped over, only to see another one of those small rabbit girls. It would seem that she was the one who tripped me. She had fluffy rabbit ears of course and black hair that reached her shoulders. She wore a pink nightgown. Her eyes were a dark red and she had a sly smile on her face.

"Well, hello there, newcomer. I'm Tewi. Nice to meet ya, yaddy yadda," she said.

Kaguya walked out of the room and stood beside the little rabbit girl. "Thank you, Tewi. This thief is in need of punishing. Would you please assist me?" she said.

"Ah, a thief the newcomer is, huh? Of course I will help!" Tewi said.

Now I was in trouble. I looked to my defenses because getting out of Eientei had just gotten a hell of a lot harder. And I still needed to get Sakuya her medicine. I needed the aid of Marisa. She could get me out of here quicker than lightning, but I had a funny little feeling that this so-called princess and her minion were going to make that a laborious endeavor. But I had to try. Getting this nail back to the mansion was the greatest of priorities for me and if I had to put my life on the line then that is what I was going to do.


	25. Chapter 24 Losing It

It was one hell of a struggle against an immortal and her little rabbit servant. After being on constant defense and trying to get out of the maze that was supposed to be a home, Kaguya had blasted me in the back with a shot of blue magic and sent me flying forward into a wall, sending me crashing through it and out into the outside. I landed face first into the dirt and stayed there for a moment to groan in pain. I then speedily got to my feet, turned to where I had been forced to exit the building and readied myself for the two girls. Tewi was the first to step out, followed by Kaguya. They both wore cocky grins. They obviously were enjoying teaming up on me. My back burned, but I was ready to endure more hardship in my desperate bid to escape Eientei with the gleaming nail.

"You're quite hardy, Isaac," Kaguya said. "You took quite the pummeling before you tried to run."

"He makes a good punching bag, I say," Tewi said with a devilish chuckle.

"You'd think you'd play fair and fight me one at a time," I said tiredly.

"Play fair? Against a thief? Oh, no no no no. I don't think so," Kaguya said.

"If you're not going to play fair then I'm going to have to join in," someone said.

I looked behind me to see Mokou running towards me. Mokou stood beside me with a hell of a grin on her. Nazrin was nowhere to be seen. She better not have bailed on us because I still need her help for the final nail, but I had this fuzzy little feeling that she had done just that.

I noticed Kaguya's grin falter at the sight of Mokou. "Oh, Mokou. Sweet, Mokou. Would you mind not interfering this time around? I'm trying to punish a thief," she said.

Mokou turned to me. "Ha! You stole something from her? Good job! I like you!" she said excitedly.

"Heh… At least I made a friend with my questionable actions," I said, relieved to have a newfound ally.

Kaguya inhaled through her nostrils before letting out a big sigh in irritation. "Our little rivalry does have its limits, you know. I am well justified to protect what is mine, just as it is the same for you. So, if you don't mind, step aside," she stated with a hardened look.

Mokou got into a fighting position, clearly not about to back down from a fight. "You know what they say… Finders, keepers," she said.

Mokou then held her hand back before thrusting it forward. To my utter surprise, a powerful explosion of fire was let loose from the palm of her hand. The blast was so big that Kaguya and Tewi were forced to fly upward in order to avoid being hit by the blaze. I was nearly sent to my rear end. The side of the building wasn't so lucky and was scorched. Once the fire blast came to an end, the other little rabbits raced to put out the fire before it could spread to more of the building.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed.

"You like that, eh?" Mokou said then looked up to Kaguya. "Come back down here! I want to hit you!"

"Pardon my language, but you are a pain in my ass, Mokou!" Kaguya shouted from above.

Suddenly, Mokou floated above the ground before blasting off into the sky towards Kaguya. Once in range she threw a punch at Kaguya's face. Kaguya moved back to avoid her fist then punched her in the face in retaliation. She didn't even try to avoid the punch. She took it with an evil grin on her face. She then grabbed the so-called princess and threw her over her shoulder before firing off another wave of fire. Kaguya formed a blue shield in front of her in order to block the blast. I could feel the heat on my face from the fire even from the ground. It was that intense. Kaguya then threw the shield forward towards Mokou and she punched through the shield with a powerful punch. The shield exploded into pieces and had let out a strong blast, forcing me to block the blast with my arms. The battle continued on with Kaguya pulling out a spell card.

"Divine Treasure "Brilliant Dragon Bullet"!" she declared.

Kaguya unleashed a large wave of streaming danmaku and circular danmaku, all being an assortment of different, wonderful colors. I've seen waves of danmaku like this before, but still I was stunned in place by its magnificents. Again I was left to wonder just how powerful of a spell card I may one day create. Hopefully that day comes soon.

Mokou floated there as the wave of danmaku engulfed her, causing me to lose sight of her. There was no way for me to tell if she had been hit or if she was somewhere in there dodging the bullets like mad. Then it happened, from out of the wave of danmaku appeared Mokou. It looked as if she had taken a hit or two, but she was still going strong. She flew towards Kaguya at high speeds then swung her fiery leg in order to kick Kaguya out of the sky, but with another blue shield, her kick was stopped. Kaguya seemed to have detonated the shield in an explosion of blue fire, knocking Mokou back. Kaguya held both her hands out and out of the palms came a flood of blue and purple danmaku. Mokou must have been stunned by the earlier explosion and ended up taking a lot of hits. I heard her cry out in pain. But in the middle of that wave of magic, fire engulfed her form and she rushed forward, crashing into the circular danmaku and breaking them. She then collided with Kaguya, knocking her out of the sky. Hearing her scream in pain as she was burned had a nice ring to it. She nearly came crashing down to the earth, but she caught herself before hitting the ground then raced back up into the sky towards Mokou.

I couldn't help but cheer. "That'a girl, Mokou!" I shouted. "Oof!"

I was suddenly hit hard straight to the manhood. My hands went between my legs as my legs beneath me shook. I groaned as the pain was unbearable. I was certainly going to return the favor to whoever did this to me. I had tears in my eyes, but once they cleared up, I was able to see who the devil was that hit me. It was that rascally rabbit, Tewi. She was the one who decked me hard in the crotch.

"Now, hand over whatever you stole or I'm gonna have to hurt ya," the small rabbit girl said.

"You already hurt me, you cunt!" I shouted angrily. "And like hell I'll return the nail. It's mine now and forever."

"Now, now, little vampire. Let's not say things we might regret," Tewi said with a slick grin.

"What can a little wench like you possibly do to a vampire like me?" I asked. At that point I was just acting tough. I could already tell this small rabbit was more powerful then she looked. I talked tough, but I was on my guard.

"Hee hee hee! You really want to know, boy?" she asked as she readied herself.

"Let's not waste time and just get straight to it," I said.

Taking the initiative, I rushed the girl and went to kick her like a football, but she bounced out of the way. She bounced backwards then bounced forward into the air, bouncing off of my face. I stumbled backwards then threw myself forward, putting all my weight into a punch at Tewi. She bounced again to evade. She held up her palm and shot a ball of blue magic at me. I took the hit to the chest as I ran forward, paying no heed to the painful sting the shot left. I jumped into the air then went to stomp on the little critter, but she quickly ran underneath me then blasted me in the back with more magic when I landed. I growled in anger as the pain fed my strength. Taking a page from Mokou's book, I inhaled a large quantity of air before unleashing it all in the form of a blast of magical blue fire. My vision was obscured from the large wave of flames, but I could hear Tewi let out a shriek. I didn't think I had hit her directly, and I was right. She had lept up over the wall of blue fire and tried to land on my face again, but this time, I grabbed hold of her leg then slammed her to the ground.

"Guh!" Tewi coughed up a bit of blood from the impact.

I didn't stop there. Still holding a strong grip on her leg, I twirled her around above my head before launching her towards the house. She sored through the air and was about to crash into the wall, but she was able to position herself midair to land on the side of the wall with her feet and bounce off of it. She came flying back at me, head-butting me in the gut and knocking the air out from my lungs. I coughed and gagged in a bid to get air back into my lungs. The girl took the opportunity to pull out a spell card.

"Rabbit Sign "Great Fortune Crest"!" she declared.

Clusters of danmaku bullets suddenly started to burst into existence all around me, leaving me nowhere to evade. I was forced to take the full blunt of the attack. A bullet clocked me in the face while another hit me in the back of the head. Another shot me in the spine and another struck the top of my hand. I was bombarded with danmaku bullets from all angles. The pain only made me angrier and my desperation greater. So I built up some of my magical power at my center then unleashed it with a blistering howl. An explosion of blue fire erupted from all around me, crushing the danmaku that plagued me into nothing. The second the fire cleared, I rushed down Tewi and performed a lariat on her, sending her to the flat of her back. I feigned a stomp, causing her to roll, but I then grabbed her by the face and lifted her off the ground. She struggled in my grip while trying to kick at me. With a new found target, I held my fist back then launched it forward, striking the girl in her cunt. I then released her and watched her squirm on the ground.

With her hands on her crotch, Tewi rolled around in pain. "I… I can't believe you actually did it. H-How could you punch a girl there?" she asked with tears in her eyes.

"Gender equality, bitch," I said mercilessly.

I gave her the chance to get up once she was able, her cocky grin no longer present on her face. We prepared to continue fighting, but I couldn't keep this up. I needed to get out of there before that bigger bunny girl, or maybe even that pharmacist, got involved. If they did, I was certain to lose the nail that I've been desperately holding onto for dear life. With the thought of escape running through my mind, that's when my ticket out of there appeared.

Coming out from the inside of the building appeared Marisa, Reisen and Eirin. Marisa was waving around two bottles in her hands. "Yo, Isaac! I got the meds! You wanna… uh… What's going on out here?" she asked as she saw the battered expressions on mine and Tewi's faces before looking up at the battle going on above us.

"Marisa!" I shouted in distress. "We need to go! Pronto!"

"But-"

"Now I said!" I screamed.

"You're the boss!" Marisa said as a grin appeared on her face.

She hopped onto her broom and blasted off. She scooped me up as she flew by and off we went into the night sky. Exhausted, I rested my head on Marisa's back, sighing in relief. Not only was I able to get the meds for Sakuya, but I had gotten a hold of the second glowing nail. Now it was only a matter of getting back home. I looked behind me and could see that Reisen was in hot pursuit, but she was struggling to keep up with Marisa's speed. I was anxious to get back home and instructed Marisa to head towards the mansion.

Reisen was still tailing us by the time we got to the Forest of Magic so I had leapt off the broom down into the forest while Marisa decided to take on Reisen. I was free. Free with the nail in hand. I leaned back against a random tree and pulled out the nail from my pocket, inspecting it. It glowed white just as the other one did. It had a strange, loving warmth to it. With a nod of approval, I stuffed the nail back into my pocket and headed off to the Scarlet Mansion. It had been one hell of a night.

By the time I had exited the forest, the sun was peeking out from beyond the horizon, blanketing the land with its morning warmth. I had sighed in relief when I came to the Misty Lake, knowing that my destination was close. I immediately got a move on as I longed for my bed. The travel was a longer one than it normally would be, given how tired I was. I felt encouraged that nothing could stop me at that point though. All my concerns were behind me. I even felt that the third nail was already close to being mine even though I had just gotten a hold of the second. Tired I may be, I was feeling great that morning. And it would have been a wonderful morning if only I had not run into those two…

Standing before me was a little girl who stood proudly with hands placed on her hips. She was wearing a blue dress and possessed aqua-colored eyes. Her light blue hair reached to top of her shoulders and in her hair was a blue bow. Behind her was a pair of fairy wings that looked like icicles. The smile on this girl's face was an arrogant one.

And just to add salt to injury, beside this arrogant-looking fairy was yet another fairy. This one sported infuriating short green hair with a yellow bow in it. She wore a blue dress with white sleeves. Behind her was a pair of golden fairy wings. This girl is the one that had my angered attention and she did not like it. She seemed to quiver in fear. She was the first to speak up.

"Um… Cirno? I know you don't like to listen to me, but this is not a fight you want to get into. So let's just calmly leave this guy alone and play elsewhere," she said.

"Don't be such a child, Daiyousei," the girl, apparently named Cirno, said, her arrogant smile never faltering despite the dreadful aura I was giving off. "I totally got this guy. Look how worn out he looks! I'll beat him up and become the first fairy to have ever defeated a vampire!"

"You both are dead," I snarled.

The green-haired girl named Dai… whatever shrieked and backed away while the blue-haired one simply laughed out loud.

"Boldly stated, vampire, but do you really think you got what it takes to defeat I? The great Cirno?" the girl said. I walked up to the dumb girl, stared down at her then delivered a swift kick right up between her legs. She dropped like a log. "Well executed…" she said breathlessly.

With the annoying one out of the way, I then turned my attention towards the even more annoying one. I was going to pull her hair out and leave her bald. Maybe I'd pull her wings off as well, but I'm not that cruel… Or am I? The girl was sweating bullets as I slowly approached her.

The girl took a step back as I drew close. "C-Cirno. I really, really hate you right now," she said with a shaky voice.

"Avenge me, Daiyousei," the other girl said as she tried to push herself back up to her feet, but failing to do so.

"Like hell I will!" the green-haired girl shouted.

"Close your eyes and grit your teeth," I said as I pulled back my fist, ready to strike. "You'll wake up with a massive headache later."

"Noooo!" the girl wailed as she covered her head in fright.

Suddenly, my legs and waist went numbingly cold. I looked down to find myself incased in ice. What the hell just happened? I struggled to move, but to no avail. My legs quickly started to hurt from the coldness of the ice. I turned my attention to what looked to be a trail of ice along the ground that led from me and to the blue-haired girl. Ice seemed to have sprung out from her palm.

I gritted my teeth as I shivered. "Why you little…"

"Gotcha, bitch," the blue fairy said with a snarky grin on her face.

"Wrong!" I yelled as I aimed my fist at my frozen body and punched it with all my might, shattering the ice and setting myself free. I felt unbearably cold, but my anger burned in my veins, counteracting the cold.

Once freed, I turned all my fury to the ice fairy. I rushed towards her, only to stop when I noticed a spell card in her hand. I stood on the defensive.

"Snow Sign "Diamond Blizzard"!" she declared and what appeared to be nothing but icicles exploded into existence.

A horrendous, freezing wind accompanied the icy danmaku, blowing me off my feet and sending me backwards. I was flipped around a few times in the air before I was able to catch myself midair and land back on my feet, but I was pelted by the icy danmaku one after another once I had landed. I was so close to being home yet I had to deal with this shit? Not for long!

With my rage building and numbing the pain from the blows I received, I used my arms as a shield and charged through the wall of danmaku. It hurt, yes, but I was too angry and frustrated to care. My goal was to run down the little fairy, but by the time I broke out of the blizzard, she was nowhere to be found. I looked everywhere for her, finally spotting her high above me. She held her hand above her head with a large ice-like spear floating in her palm.

I sneered at the little wretch. "Get back down here so I can kick you again!" I shouted to her.

"I'm going to skewer your balls with this here spear as payback!" the girl shouted in turn.

"Try it you little tramp!"

Clearly annoyed by my insult, she threw her icy spear at me. With no intentions to move, I channeled my magical energy into the palms of my hands. Once I gathered enough power, I unleashed a wave of my own danmaku. Medium sized blue spheres burst into being from my palms, washing my entire vision. The icy spear was struck by several of my danmaku, smashing it to pieces before it could reach me. My true target started to dodge and weave in the sky as to avoid being hit by my attack. My attack wasn't the power of a true spell card, but it got the job done. If only I was able to fly… I would be pummeling the stupid girl right about now.

With fatigue hitting me, I ended my attack. The fairy dodged the last of the blue spheres and stopped to take a breather. It looks like I never hit her, but I did wind her some. The inability to fly was becoming such a problem the longer I lived in Gensokyo. I'm going to need to make it a top priority to learn the second I get the chance to. Patchouli said she'd have Meiling teach me once I was able to control my magical power and that I have. So, learning to fly was now the logical next step. But it may have proven too late.

"Daiyousei! Now's your chance! Get him!" the ice fairy yelled.

With most of my attention still on the fairy in the sky, I looked out of the corner of my eye to see if the green-haired girl would actually try something, but she didn't. It appeared that she was too busy looking at something in her hands. Plus she just didn't seem like the type that wants to fight anyways. But she still needed to be dealt with. Having green hair made her an obvious target for elimination.

My full attention was about to go back to the ice fairy, but a sudden shine caught my eye. It was whatever it was that the other fairy was holding. I turned to get a better look only to find that what she was holding was something that was supposed to be in my pocket. Panic ensued.

"The nail!" I shouted. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was blown away by that ice fairy's spell card. I must get it back!

Suddenly being shouted at made the girl jump in fright, nearly dropping the nail. Without hesitation, I rushed for the girl in order to get back what was rightfully mine. I reached for the nail as I ran, but a sudden spear of ice pierced the ground in front of me, forcing me to stop.

"Fly, Daiyousei, fly!" the ice fairy cried out.

I smashed the icy spear then reached to snatch the glowing nail from the girl's grasp, but she hastily flew straight up into the sky. I growled loudly in intense fury as the nail was pulled further and further away from my grasp.

"Give that back!" I yelled. I yelled so loud that my voice cracked.

The green-haired fairy was now floating next to the blue-haired one. She handed over the glowing nail to the ice fairy. The ice fairy studied the nail before looking down at me with the most aggravating grin.

"This is neat! I think we'll keep this!" she yelled to me.

"Oh, no you don't!"

I whipped out my revolver and took aim at the fairy. I pulled the trigger immediately upon having her in my sights. Purple fire burst out from the barrel of the gun as the bullet left it. The bullet left a purple trail as it went through the sky. I thought it would hit the fairy, but my aim was off. That's three bullets I've used. Only three left. Knowing this made me hesitate to fire again.

The fairies, startled by the sudden gun fire, made a run for it and flew off further into the sky.

"Thanks for the gift, dickhead!" the ice fairy shouted.

"Sorry about this, Mister!" the green-haired fairy yelled.

Those were their final goodbyes as they took off with the second nail that I fought so hard to obtain. I fell to my knees as I watched the two fairies disappear into the clouds. My body was shaking horribly. I could feel my heart about to explode within my chest. A tear of blood fell from one of my eyes and my teeth were ready to break from me grinding them together so hard. Unable to contain my rage, I slammed my fists into the ground, causing the world around me to quake.

"NOOOOO!" My voice echoed throughout Gensokyo.


	26. Chapter 25 Into the Sky

I stood at attention as a pair of angry, intense eyes stared up at me, judging me critically. The pair of eyes that I once loathed had me sweating profusely. I don't think I've ever seen this kind of stare coming from Lady Remilia before. I thought she had given me death stares before, but this stare had me paralyzed from neck down. The reason for her to stare at me in such a way should be obvious. Once I had told her that I had managed to retrieve the second glowing nail only to have it stolen from me by a pair of fairies did her anger swell. At first she was delighted to hear that I got another nail, only for her hopes to be crushed when I told her that I had lost the nail to a couple of fairies of all things. Maybe if I had lost the nail to a more powerful type of youkai would she be more understanding. But fairies? I could understand her utter disappointment with me. Though I sort of put some blame on my master. If only I had known how to fly would I have been able to catch the thieves. The development of my powers has gone too slow and this incident has proven that. I needed this kick in the ass to fully realize that.

Still staring up at me with those forceful eyes, Remilia continued to not say anything as if she was trying to strangle me with her death stare. I couldn't take the silence and I was desperate for her to move her eyes elsewhere so I decided to speak up.

"Look… I can go on for hours telling you how sorry I am for losing the nail, but I'm not fully to blame here," I said.

"So you are going to pass the blame? Just as I expected," Remilia said with a sneer.

"It's true though. I need to get stronger and fast, but the pace that my current development has been going isn't anywhere near as fast as it should be," I said desperately.

"You cannot become all powerful overnight, my childe. You do have a great power in you, but it must be developed slowly in order for it to not overwhelm you," she stated.

"Shouldn't learning how to fly been a top priority? If I could have flown, I would have caught the ones that stole the nail."

My disgruntled master sighed. "You just figured out how to hone some of your magical power not long ago."

"So now is the time for me to learn how to fly, right?"

"It is time, yes, but flying is not like going for a stroll," she said.

"I can do it. I cannot possibly be any more motivated to learn how to finally fly," I said with great enthusiasm.

Lady Remilia's stare loosened up some. "You are eager and I like that, but you also need to be cautious when moving forward," she said. "You also need to develop more spell cards of your own in order to defend yourself better. That and learning to fly will be your main focus in the coming days. You MUST retrieve that nail from those two fairies as soon as possible. I demand it."

"That makes me wonder… Why does it have to be me? Couldn't you send either Sakuya or Meiling or both to go retake the nail? They could definitely get the job done," I said.

Remilia shook her head. "This task is yours and yours alone," she stated.

"But-"

"But nothing. Do as I say or there won't be any _fun_ to be had anymore," she said.

"Oh, don't go threatening me with the 'no sex' treatment. I'll get it done without that kind of motivation," I said, my face feeling a little warm.

Remilia gave me a rather seductive little smirk. "I'm sure you will, my pet," she said before turning to take her leave. But before she took another step, she turned back to face me. "Go to Patchouli. She'll help rectify any possible problems with your ability to harness your power before getting into the full development of your spell cards."

"Will do," I answered. We parted ways towards our respective destinations.

* * *

Some time passed as I spent a good portion of the night with Patchouli and a 'guest' in the form of Marisa. I thanked Marisa from the bottom of my heart for helping me escape Eientei and secretly offered not to stand in her way whenever she wanted to enter Voile uninvited. Not forever, of course, but for a good chunk of time. It was the only thing I could think of to offer her as thanks. She wanted me to help her 'borrow' books from the library, but I couldn't go that far and she thankfully understood. Marisa turned out to be a valuable ally, an ally that I was determined to keep. I wanted to thank Mokou for her help as well the next time I saw her. She too proved to be a great, though sudden, ally. I needed to thank Nazrin as well, now that I thought about it, though I still needed her to find the third nail for me. Maybe I should give her a good tumble. God knows she needs it with her attitude.

I sat at a table while Patchouli and Marisa worked on a small experiment. I sat with my face on the table, exhausted from what I created. A number of spell cards is what I made and that was the source of my exhaustion. I even tested some on Marisa. After pooling so much magical energy into those cards, I was already ready for bed, but I still had training to do with Patchouli once she and Marisa were done doing their thing. I felt mightily accomplished having made my own spell cards and I was anxious to learn more, but damn was I tired. I actually wanted to start learning how to fly from Meiling, but that had to wait until our schedules coincide with one another. I had my weapons ready for war, I just needed the mobility in the sky.

Nearly falling to sleep at the table, I was woken up by a loud pop sound. I snapped to my feet at attention, looking around for the source of the noise. I found it to simply have been Patchouli and Marisa and their little experiment with chemicals. It looked like one of their bottles broke and whatever fluid it contained had spilled on the table. The two girls looked disappointed.

"Well, that didn't work at all," Marisa said grudgingly.

"I'm determined to make it work," Patchouli said with a huff.

"If Alice was here, she'd tell ya to not even bother," Marisa commented.

"Well, she's not here to stop me now is she?" Patchouli said, annoyed.

"Now you're just being a child," Marisa said.

"What are you even trying to do?" I asked as I sat back down.

"It's none of your concern," Patchouli said to my own annoyance. "Shouldn't you be studying something instead of just sitting there?"

"Now, don't get mad at me just because your experiment failed," I said.

"I gotta agree," Marisa said in my defense. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

Patchouli took a breather before speaking again. "Sorry. I'm just frustrated is all," she said.

"It's cool," I said.

"But you should be studying," she insisted.

"Can't you teach me how to fly? I see you more often than Meiling," I said, feeling anxious.

"I don't feel like going outside," the bookworm blatantly said.

"Why not do it in here?" Marisa chimed in.

I thought for a moment and remembered just how big the library was. It wasn't called the _Great_ Library for nothing. I looked up toward the ceiling and noticed once again just how high the ceiling went up. It was high up there alright. Plenty of room to fly around in. Marisa's idea was becoming quite idealistic to me.

"She's right!" I said excitedly. "Koakuma could even teach me if you're too lazy to."

"Lazy?" Patchouli said, annoyed once more.

"Why don't I help you out, buddy?" Marisa said with a cheerful smile.

"Would you? But, you already helped me out quite a bit. I'd hate to ask for more," I said.

"Ah, don't worry about it, big guy. It'll be fun!" Marisa said.

Patchouli sighed. "It's your grave if you accept," she said.

"Of course I accept. I need to learn how to fly and fast," I said as I quickly stood out of my chair.

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun," Marisa said as she greedily rubbed her hands together. I didn't really know what she had in store for me, but I was excited. The second nail would be mine once again at this rate. If only I knew…

Marisa's method of teaching turned out to not be very forgiving at all. Her method was simple, but awful. All she would do is fly me up high on her broom, fly me at high speeds then push me off, claiming that I would 'feel it' and start flying on my own. Now what the hell is that? _Feel_ it? I had no idea what she was going on about. So… What happened each time I was thrown from the broom is what you would expect. I'd fall at high speeds screaming my lungs out as I flew through the air, crashing either into the marble floor or bouncing off one of the many large bookcases THEN smashing into the floor. We did this several times and not at any point did I 'feel it'. Not even Patchouli would give me a better hint as to what I was supposed to do. I think she was enjoying watching me fall from the sky over and over again. I eventually grew tired of it.

I flew through the air once again before slamming into the side of a bookcase, bouncing off of it and crashing into the floor. I hit the floor face first and skid a long distance across it before coming to a stop. I laid there on my stomach and moaned in pain. What had I accomplished falling from the sky several times over and over again? Nothing, but bruises all over my body. All I really gained was the determination to beat Marisa's ass into the ground. And when she landed next to me, I moved to do just that, but my pained body decided against it. I just laid there and continued to groan.

Marisa nudged me with her foot. "Come on, bud. Get up! You'll be flying on your own in no time if we keep this up," she said, no ounce of remorse heard in her voice.

"I hate you…" I said breathlessly.

"Now, what would possess you to say that?" she asked.

I pushed myself off the floor then slowly stood up. I glared down at Marisa. "We're not getting anywhere doing this your way," I said. I then took notice of my shirt. It had been torn! Sakuya was not going to like this when she finds me. "God damn it, I ended up ruining my uniform!"

Marisa's eyes lit up. "Ooo! Skin! Show me some more, big guy!" she said, giggling in excitement as she tried to tear my shirt more than it already was.

I grabbed her arms. "Stop it, you lunatic," I said. I pushed her away, but my shirt went with her with a loud rip.

She looked at the shirt then looked at me. "Oops."

"Oops?! That's all you have to say?" I asked angrily.

Ignoring my anger, Marisa suddenly had a seductive grin on her face. She ran up to me, placing one hand on my back and one on my abs. "Ah, let's not worry about the shirt. Why don't we _relax_ out here while we're alone? What do you say, hmm?" she asked.

I couldn't believe that she was coming onto me all of a sudden. "What has gotten into you all of a sudden?" I asked.

She smiled up at me with a blushed face. "To be honest… I wanted to take you home with me after we got away from Eientei, but that damn lunar rabbit got in the way," she stated.

I blushed as well. "Well, I don't really know what to say."

"Just say my name over and over again while I ride the hell out of you," she said with a devilish chuckle. She then rammed her hand down my pants and grabbed a hold of my dick before I could even resist.

I jumped in surprise. "Don't grab it!"

"Too late! Hee hee!"

She went to massage it, but I stopped her from moving her hand. "Seriously, as much as I want to, we can't do this," I said.

She looked up at me with a pouty face. "Aww, why not? I know you're not shy. After all, you fucked the gate guard in broad daylight," she said.

"That has nothing to do with this."

"Then there's no stopping me!" Marisa happily announced.

I should be stopping her, but I just couldn't help myself. I honestly wanted it just as badly as she seemed to. I know I told Lady Remilia I wouldn't fool around with anyone outside the mansion, but I just couldn't resist Marisa's insistence. She came on to me strong and that's a weakness of mine. I guess I'm just not good at keeping my word when it comes to sex… I'm going to regret this the moment it's over. I'm sure of it.

Marisa dropped to her knees, her face right in front of my crotch. She seductively licked her lips then went to unzip my pants. I didn't watch any further and decided just to curse myself as I let her do what she wanted, but instead of my pants becoming unzipped, I started to feel fingers tracing my gut. I looked down to see what she was up to.

To my wonder, Marisa was tracing her fingers around my tattoos with a face of what almost looked like terror. I was immediately concerned with what was wrong. I'd say she looked like she saw a ghost, but that just wouldn't work here in Gensokyo.

I placed my hand atop of Marisa's head. "Yo, girl, are you okay?" I asked.

"Turn around," she said.

"What?"

"I said turn around!" she said in a desperate tone.

She was the one to force me to turn around and once I was turned around I started to feel her fingers rigorously moving about all along my back. I had no idea what she was doing, but it felt kind of nice. I didn't mind what she was doing until I remembered that she didn't look in particularly happy with what she was doing. I was worried about what was going on in her head and why she seemed so concerned with my tattoos. Patchouli had once been worried about my tattoos, but that led to a good time. I don't think that was going to happen this time around with Marisa.

"Marisa, are you okay? What's wrong?" I asked, hoping for a clear answer.

I felt her stop and turned around to see her standing back up, her face grave. "Where did you get these tattoos?" Marisa asked.

"I don't know. The person I once was got them when they were alive," I said.

"Damn it…" she said as she bit her thumb nail. She stopped then looked at me in the eyes. "Why would you get such an extravagant tattoo?"

"I like them too, but I wouldn't call them extravagant, Marisa," I said as I checked out the tattoo on my front to my satisfaction.

"Isaac, this tattoo looks like some kind of spell," she said with a serious set of eyes set on me.

I sighed. "Not this again," I moaned. "Patchouli thought so as well and she even tried to break it with a rather fun yet painful ritual."

"Hmm…" Marisa was thinking really hard to herself. Her face then loosened up, now looking as if she was sorry about something. "Damn… I'm real sorry. I'm just not in the mood now. And I even got you worked up…"

This was for the best, despite my slight disappointment. "It's alright. I'm just concerned about you."

"It's just your tattoos remind me of someone I once knew. And it kind of bothers me."

"Really? Who?"

"It's nothing, really…" After a small moment of silence, Marisa put on a bright smile. "I think I'll take my leave for today. Tell Patchouli I went home for me, okay?" she said before hopping on her broom and taking off before I could even say goodbye.

I stood there watching as she disappeared from sight. "Hmm… Strange girl. They'll all strange in their own unique ways," I said with a nod to myself. With that done, I made my way back to the center of Voile.

I did not learn how to fly in the slightest that night, but I did finally make myself some spell cards to defend myself the next time shit goes down. I think I've stated enough already just how badly I needed to learn how to fly, but I guess I just needed to be patient and wait till I got together with Meiling. I know she would be a better teacher than Marisa and getting to fly around outside with her was going to be fun. The rest of the night would be me doing my regular duties, though I was going to get the chance to sleep in so I can get up during the day to be with Meiling. The next day would be the day I finally fly among the clouds. I just know it. I had to be able to gain the ability to fly for Lady Remilia's sake. Those blasted fairies were going to rue the day they decided to take that glowing nail away from me. I was going to make sure of that first hand.

* * *

The next day was a cloudy one and I thanked God for it. I don't know if I could have survived trying to fly outside in the sunlight. But the clouds were legion, blocking the sun's blasted rays. It was windy so that would probably hinder me, but I'm sure that was just a mere obstacle for me to overcome in my bid to fly. I couldn't wait to get together with Meiling, but I had a few chores that needed to be done. Thankfully, Sakuya was feeling better and was able to tend to Remilia's early morning needs. She was to sleep while I learned the critical ability to fly. She will be proud of me the next time she wakes up because I will be flying by that time. I'm sure of it.

Once I was finished with my chores, I raced to the outside to meet with Meiling at the gate. Once I got there, I saw her beating on some random youkai that probably tried to break in or something. Once she was done beating him, she picked him up and threw him away from the gate. He hit the ground hard then struggled to get back on his feet. Once he was on his feet, he shook his fist in the air.

"I'll remember this!" he shouted out his anger then ran away like a coward.

I ran to catch up with him and get in a few punches myself, but Meiling stopped me. "He got enough of a pounding, but I'm sure he'll try and break in again at some point. They always do," she said.

"He tried to break in broad daylight?" I asked, confused.

"Well, that is when the resident vampires would be normally sleeping," she said.

"Ah, I get it," I said with a nod.

Meiling brushed off her uniform of stray dust then looked up at me with a wonderful smile. "Are you ready, Isaac?" she asked.

I smiled back. "I thought you'd never ask. Come here, girl," I said then went to embrace her.

Once I drew near, I went to kiss her, but she stopped me with her palm to my forehead. "Ah ha ha, funny," she said with a giggle.

I stepped back to give her space back. "Yeah, I was just joking, heh heh." My smile tensed up. "I'm ready for this. I leave everything to you," I said.

"Don't worry, Isaac. I will do everything that I can to help you fly," she said.

"Man, this is going to be great. I'm so excited," I said, though I'm sure it wasn't needed to be said. I'm sure people could tell just by looking.

Meiling giggled. "That is obvious," she said. Her happy expression changed to that of a tense one. "Okay… This will not be easy. At first, what I'm going to do is fly you above the clouds then release you. What you need to do is stop yourself from falling by releasing a flow of power from within yourself. Not enough to release an energy burst, but one that will catch you midair. Do you understand, Isaac?" she instructed.

I nodded. "I believe so," I ensured. Though I think I understood rather clearly what she was telling me to do, I was still worried about the falling part. "What if I fail to stop myself before hitting the ground?"

"Then you will hit the ground, obviously."

"Oh, god damn it," I sulked.

"I need to let you fall so it creates in your mind a need to stop," she said.

I let out a drawn out sigh. "I guess I understand your logic, but I know for sure I'm not going to get it right the first time," I said.

"It's not like you'll die or anything. You're a vampire after all," she said with a sweet smile.

"Sure…"

"Okay! Let's get to it!"

And so it began. Meiling wrapped her arm around my waist and flew me straight up into the sky. It was a long flight to the height she wanted to drop me. We got so far up that the mansion looked like a small marble. We were above the clouds and it was a beautiful sight. I looked all around me, spotting points of interest off in the distance. I could see all of the Forest of Magic and even the Human Village. That one temple (forgot its name already) Marisa, Suika and I broke into was just barely seeable not far from the village. The Youkai Mountain was another marvel to behold. I could see the Moriya Shrine sitting atop of it. Man, did this make me wish I had a cellphone to take pictures of what I was seeing. I doubt those things exist here in Gensokyo.

In the middle of me aweing over the lands of Gensokyo, Meiling suddenly said "Goodbye!" and released me and the second she did, I started to scream. I watched above me as Meiling quickly fell out of sight. I looked down to see the Scarlet Mansion growing ever closer. The ground too was drawing close. Despite how high Meiling took me up, I think I was about half way down by the time I stopped screaming and remembered what it was that I was supposed to be doing. Once I remembered, I got to work on calming myself and gathering the right amount of power within me. I tried to visualize a catcher's mit catching me. Once I gathered a little bit of power, I released it. To my worry, it didn't stop me. It didn't even slow me down. Was I not releasing enough power? I gave it another try, releasing more energy this time. Failure. I tried again only to fail once more. I tried again only to release a blast of wind out from me. That was obviously too much! I tried to put the energy I was putting out down some, but before I could try again, I struck the ground. Into the ground I went. Was it a painful impact? Oh, hell yes it was. I think I had blacked out for a moment when I crashed into the ground, but I didn't lose consciousness completely because I could feel the pain wracking my entire body. I was in darkness, having been buried into the ground. All I did was moan in agony, the pain too much for me to dig myself out. My mind was muddied from the pain. I didn't snap out of it until I heard Meiling's muffled voice.

"Isaac? Isaac, are you down there?" she asked me. Wasn't the answer obvious?

"No! I'm not down here!" I shouted out.

"Now, now, Isaac. There's no need to be snide," she said.

Meiling started to dig downward which motivated me to start digging myself out as well. I managed to grab hold of her hand and she yanked me out of that pit. I fell to my behind once I was freed. Panting in exhaustion, I looked up at Meiling only for my eyes to fall back down to the ground in disappointment.

"I knew I wouldn't get it right the first time, but I'm still mad about it," I said.

"It's okay, Isaac. No one gets it right the first time," Meiling said in a comforting voice. "I know what you did wrong. You were releasing your energy too quickly. It needs to come out like a slow flowing stream. You should be able to feel your power hugging you lovingly."

I looked up at her, feeling rather annoyed. "Why didn't you say that before?"

Meiling clapped her hands together in front of her. "Sorry, I should have."

Once I had recovered from the brutal fall, we gave it another shot. Up again we went and once we were at the right height, Meiling released me. This time I was calm the second she released me so I had more time to act. I wasn't perfectly calm, but calm enough to keep my mind straight. As I fell, I tried doing what I was instructed to do and let my power flow out from me. I did as I was told, but it wasn't stopping me from falling. Once again, I failed to stop myself and thus I crashed into the ground, buried in a pit again. Meiling helped me out of the pit and scolded me, saying I was letting my power 'spray' out instead of 'flow' out. Sounded kinky to me, but whatever. We tried a third time and this time I was sure to let my energy 'flow' out. Sadly, there was no stopping my free fall back to earth. I hit the ground yet again with great force.

We tried a few more times only to end in failure. I was about to give up, but Meiling pushed me on so on I went. There were a couple more failures, but one attempt proved fruitful. Just when I was about to hit the ground, I had shut my eyes so not to see the inevitable impact with the ground, but this time no such awful impact happened. I opened my eyes to see a shocking sight. I wasn't buried in the ground, but instead I was standing on my feet. I stared in bewilderment, unsure as to what had happened. I was lost in a daze until Meiling had landed beside me and hugged me.

"You did it! You did it, Isaac!" she exclaimed in excitement.

I was snapped out of my daze. "What did I do?" I asked.

"Now, you didn't necessarily stop yourself in midair, but you slowed your fall enough to the point you were able to land softly," Meiling said as she let go of me, a gleaming smile on her face.

I was amazed by what I had heard. I was so close to giving up for the day, but, thanks to Meiling's instructions, I managed to accomplish the simple task of slowing my fall. I know it sounded small, but it was a big deal for me.

I held a fist of victory in the air with my head hung low. "Yes…"

Meiling nodded a few times. "Now we just need you to perfect that ability to slow, and eventually stop, yourself," she said.

Feeling rather exhausted, I let out a sigh. "I can't believe it took that long and that much effort just to slow myself down. Flying really isn't an easy thing after all. You girls make it seem like such a natural thing to do," I said.

"We all started where you are at, Isaac," she said

"Well then, let's keep at it," I said, to Meiling's delight. I wasn't going to learn how to fly in a day, that was for certain, but I was determined to learn no matter how long it would take.

We continued on with my training and eventually I was able to slow myself consistently, even from the very beginning of the fall, until I was finally able to stop and float in midair. The relief I felt was unimaginable. It took a lot out of me and eventually we had to stop so I could go to bed and rest. The next day I did the same thing: Worked a little during the night only to go to bed early to wake up during the morning so I could train with Meiling. That day was the second step in learning how to fly. It was all about moving around slowly in the air. That proved to be much easier than the first step in flying. I managed to get that perfected to the point I was speeding up little by little as I moved around. I got to the point that I was able to fly straight up into the sky almost as fast as Meiling could. Again, we spent all morning just practicing until it was time for me to hit the sack. The next day was the third step and that proved to be a bigger challenge than the first step.

The third step was all about flying fast and making sudden turns. Meiling had us flying above Misty Lake this time around. My job was to fly towards the lake at an angle only to shoot straight back up before hitting the lake. As you could have expected, I failed several times and crashed into the lake. It was much better than hitting ground, that's for sure. Made me wonder why Meiling didn't have us above Misty Lake during the first step of training… It took all morning for me to get it right. After that, the next day and the fourth step of training came.

The fourth step was a big one – chasing other flyers. Meiling had me chasing her throughout the vast skies of Gensokyo. That's all we did. It was the most tiring step of the training yet. But, God, did I love it. Flying at high speeds through the clouds, making sudden turns and stops just to keep on the heels of Meiling was a rush I had not had since my days on the roads of the Outside World. I felt so incredibly alive. There was no explaining how intense the experience was. We did just this for a few days until I was, at long last, able to catch Meiling. My blood flowed with great excitement from the accomplishment.

Though, Meiling insisted that I train with her more, I felt ready to take on the world. I had to go see my master and tell her of my ability to fly. When I met up with her somewhere in the mansion and told her, she acted less than enthused, but I know she was happy. She couldn't fool me this time.

Lady Remilia sat at her table with a mirror on it, fiddling with some adornments she was putting on her dress and in her hair. She always looks beautiful, but she was always trying to enhance that beauty in some way. It wasn't needed I thought, but she was free to do whatever she wanted.

"That's nice to hear," Remilia started after hearing of my accomplishment. "But I don't see that nail in your hand."

"Don't you worry," I said. "I'll be getting that nail back real soon."

"Good." Remilia finished placing an ornament on the center of her shirt then finished up by placing her cap on her head. She stood up out of her seat and faced me. "Like I said before… This task is yours and yours alone. You yourself need to find that nail and bring it back to me."

"You won't even give me a hint on where I could even find those two fairies?" I asked, distraught.

"I will not and neither will anyone here in the mansion. Figure out where they are yourself. Put that brain of yours to work," she said.

"You can be cruel sometimes," I stated.

"I'm not being cruel. I need you to be self-reliant," she said.

"I understand, I guess," I said.

"Good," she said. She then grabbed hold of my tie and pulled me down to her level. She placed her lips awfully close to mine before speaking. "I'm sure you already know… Retrieving that nail will come with a reward. You know that, don't you?"

My face must have been a deep red at that point. "Of course!" I said excitedly.

"Good," she said before teasingly licking the tip of my nose and releasing me. She turned and headed for the door to leave. "I want that nail."

I bowed to her as she left. "You will have it, my master," I said

The hunt was on.


	27. Chapter 26 To Battle

With my newfound ability to fly, I was able to get around places a lot more efficiently when it came to the outside. I was even flying around inside the mansion until Sakuya yelled at me, saying no flying inside the mansion unless in combat. I tried to listen, but it was so much fun flying to and fro. Plus I think it just helped to practice while I was doing my usual duties. I was still far from perfect at flying so I needed to practice whenever I could. I needed to fine tune my ability to fly in order for me to be able to face that accursed fairy. My main objective once I was finished with my work in the mansion was to find that fairy and retake what she had stolen from me. A fight was sure to break out between us, but I needed to find the dumb girl first.

My last chore before going on the hunt for that fairy was to take some books to Alice. This was a good thing because I wanted to ask her if she would know where I could find that fairy. No one in the mansion would help due to Lady Remilia's insistence that I find out myself. It only made my mission needlessly hard I thought. When I got to Alice's place, I popped my question and was immediately told to just search around Misty Lake. Not much help, but then again, with my ability to fly, combing the entire lake shouldn't be too difficult. So with only that bit of information to go on, I went to the lake and flew all around it.

I flew around the lake a few times, finding no sign of that ice fairy or her comrade. I grew frustrated real quick. I flew high and low in an effort to maybe catch them meandering about on land or in the sky, but I found no trace of them. With not much else I could do, I widened my search area, going as far as the base of the Youkai Mountain. I decided to search around there and that's when I came upon something rather interesting. A little village next to a river is what I came upon and its inhabitants were these short people. With the intention of probing some for answers, I landed behind one of the short stacks and promptly scared her.

"Oh, jeez!" the girl exclaimed. "Why you scare me like that?"

"Heh, sorry about that," I apologized before putting on a serious expression. "I'm here looking for some answers."

"Y-You…!" The girl suddenly looked terrified when she appeared to have come to some conclusion. "I-It's him! It's the kappa eater! Run for it!" she shouted.

My jaw dropped at the accusation. "A what now?!"

Before I could get any sort of clarification, the girl took off running. All the other little people in the area also took off running, dashing into buildings and slamming the doors shut. In just a few short seconds, I was suddenly in a ghost town. The only company I had was the presence of some wind.

"What the hell…?" I said, distraught.

I started to walk when I spotted movement behind the corner of what looked like it could be a warehouse. It was one of those little people and she poked her head out, only to hide herself when she made eye contact with me. Disgruntled, I shouted for the girl.

"Hey! Come talk to me. I only want to ask some questions." I got no answer so I decided to make my way towards her. "Come on, now. I'm not a kappa eater or whatever so come out of hiding."

The girl poked her head out again. "Are you sure?" she asked in a shy voice. "That ice fairy said otherwise."

 _That fucking fairy…_

"I'm sure so come on out of there. I'm not here to hurt anyone. Unless you're a fairy. Then we'll have some problems," I said.

The girl jumped out of hiding, looking rather offended. "I'm no fairy! I'm a kappa!" she said.

The girl had blue hair tied into twin tails and had a pair of blue eyes. She wore a blue dress with lots of pockets on it. She was wearing a backpack and a green hat. On her feet was a pair of blue boots. She looked quite cute.

"What on earth is a kappa?" I asked.

"You don't know what a kappa is?!" the girl asked, shocked.

"I don't and I don't really care to know. What I care about is getting my questions answered," I stated. "Have you seen that ice fairy recently?"

"That ice fairy? I haven't," the girl said.

"Damn…"

"Wait a minute…" The girl started as she eyeballed me up and down. "Aren't you that new vampire by the name of Isaac?"

"Yes, yes. That's me," I said tiredly.

"Wow! This must be fate!" the girl said cheerfully. "My name is Nitori. I actually have something of yours."

"Do you now?" I asked, feeling suspicious.

"Yeah! Come with me! I'll show you," Nitori said.

I sighed. "I really don't have time for this. But I'm interested enough so why not," I said then followed the happy little… kappa.

Nitori took me inside the large warehouse and the inside proved to be one gigantic mess. Metal trash and an assortment of broken parts from different kinds of machinery was scattered all around. There were a number of benches with tools sitting on them. Needless to say, the place was a dump.

"What a dump," I said out loud.

"Hey! This isn't a dump. It's where I do all of my work," Nitori said angrily.

"Calm your tits, I didn't mean to offend, but this place could use some organization, you know," I said with sincerity.

The girl blushed as she twiddled her thumbs. "Sure, sure… But that's not why I brought you in here for. I brought you here…" She ran to the center of the building and presented me with something. "For this!"

I walked up to the girl and looked at what she wanted me to see and once I saw it, my heart skipped a beat. A wide smile then formed across my face. "A motorcycle! A completely smashed one, but a motorcycle none the less!" I said, almost speechless.

I would have never thought I'd find a motorcycle within Gensokyo. I mean most of the stuff inside the building I wouldn't have expected to ever see again. But I was well pleased with what I was shown. But the girl said it was something of mine. That's impossible. But I looked closer at the bashed up machine and my heart skipped another beat, painfully this time. The vision of me crashing my motorcycle flashed across my mind. A sudden spike of pain wracked my mind. I fell to my knees gripping my head.

The kappa girl looked worried. "Are… Are you okay, Mister Isaac?" she asked.

"Where… Where did you get this? This should have been on the other side of the ocean, lost somewhere in a forest," I said, fighting through the pain in my head.

"The gap youkai dropped it off here suddenly one day," she said. "She said it belonged to the new vampire in Gensokyo and told me to try and fix it up."

"The gap youkai?" I asked, unsure as to whom she was talking about, but I then remembered who it referred to. I couldn't remember her name, but it was that strange women with blonde hair and blazing yellow eyes I met a while back. "Wait, SHE gave it to you? How the hell did she manage that?"

"Well, she can create gaps in space, you weirdo," she said.

"Yes, but… still…" I was speechless. How did that gap youkai even find it? How did she know? Did Remilia mention something about it to her by some chance? I don't know, but it was something I wanted to find out at some point.

Nitori walked around the beat up motorcycle, examining it. "I have been working on it, but it was badly damaged when I got it. I happened to have some tires that fit so I put those on. The chassis is banged up real bad, but I think I can reshape it. It's the motor I'm having problems with," she stated.

I got back up to my feet once the pain had subsided. I hesitantly placed my hand on the seat of the motorcycle and remembered working on it myself. I was a mechanic, after all. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance to bring this baby back to life. But, as painful as it was to say, it had to wait. I was still on the hunt for that ice fairy. Getting back that glowing nail was my top priority.

"I think I can help you in fixing this up, but it'll have to wait. I'm in desperate need in finding that fairy I mentioned," I said.

"You can?! That would be so cool!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah. Nitori, was it? I'll be sure to remember your name. I'll stop by some other time to see what can be done with the engine, but for now, I must leave," I said.

"Okay!" The kappa girl bashfully hid behind the motorcycle. "It was nice to meet you, Isaac."

"Likewise," I replied happily.

I took my leave and headed back into the sky. I searched the forests around the little kappa village for any sign of a blue fairy, but found none. I then returned to Misty Lake and did another round of searching there. Finding nothing, I decided to search inside the Forest of Magic. Unfortunately I had to go on foot from there. The canopy was too thick to see anything on the ground from above. I ran around like someone with their head chopped off searching for any signs of life. I actually came upon Marisa's home at one point. I had knocked on her door to see if she could aid me, but she wasn't home, leaving me to continue the search alone. A couple hours had gone by and I was about to give up the search inside the forest, but that's when I finally found my target. That nail was going to be back in my hands.

The ice fairy, Cirno, and her friend Dai-whatever were in a small clearing with another group of fairies. Cirno stood on the stump of a tree, proudly presenting the glowing nail she had stolen from me to the three fairies. With my eyes stabbing into the back of the blue fairy, I slowly made my approach.

"As I told you already," Cirno began. "Not only did I defeat a vampire, but I was able to take this cool glowing thingy from him as proof." The three other fairies looked on the nail in awe. "So now I'm the undisputed master of not only Misty Lake, but also of the Forest of Magic."

The three fairies burst into laughter at Cirno's last line. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Cirno," one of the fairies, a red head, said.

"It's true!" Cirno said in a fit of childish anger. "If he was here right now, I'd beat him up in front of you to prove it."

"You mean that guy?" one of the fairies said, the brown haired one. She pointed to me and Cirno and her green-haired friend turned around. They were both shocked to see me.

"You!" Cirno exclaimed.

"Yes, me," I answered. With my vampiric speed, I closed the distance between Cirno and I in an instant. "Me, me, me, me, me."

"Ah!" The ice fairy jumped back in fright, dropping the glowing nail at my feet.

I reached down and picked up the nail and placed it in my pocket. "Now, for your punishment," I said in a dark voice.

A few dots of sweat appeared on the blue fairy's face. "H-Hey! That's mine! You lost it to me fair and square," she said.

"Damn it, Cirno, this man does not look like he's messing around," the green-haired fairy said.

I held my palm towards Cirno. "I'm not." I then unleashed a large blast of blue energy from the palm of my hand. The fairy dodged into the air, avoiding being incinerated like the ground was. The loud explosion caused the other three fairies to panic and run into the depths of the forest. Now I didn't have to worry about getting them involved. I was free to go buck wild on this ice fairy.

"I'll beat you like I did last time," Cirno boldly stated as she pulled out a spell card, but I was faster with mine.

I quickly pulled out a spell card and called out its name. "Fury Sign "Hellbound Heart"!" I declared.

The card burned up in a fury of blue flames and its power flowed through me. I felt an immense amount of strength poor into my hands. My nails turned into claws and that's when I began to swipe at the air with great speed. My swipes created dark blue, crescent shaped danmaku that cut through the air. One such danmaku sliced through the spell card Cirno was going to use, rendering it useless. Another nearly took her head, but she moved out of the way in time. She tried to dodge another bullet, but was grazed by it, slicing her right cheek. Blood trickled down her face. She looked like she was panicking, but she suddenly grew bold and formed a sword out of ice. She began slashing at the crescent shaped danmaku that came at her. While doing this, she slowly approached me. Big mistake. She was in a better position at a distance, but it looked like she wanted to get close to me so she can cut me with her sword in revenge for me cutting her. She really was just a kid, but that wasn't going to stop me from punishing her for her crime. Once my spell card was finished, the ice fairy leapt into the air with her sword then swung downward with it in an attempt to cut me in two. I caught the blade with one hand, clenched my hand into a fist and shattered the sword. I retaliated while she was caught off guard, kneeing her in the gut and sending her flying backwards. She bounced off a tree and fell to the ground. She quickly got back to her feet, clenching her pained stomach.

"I won't lose to you!" the girl declared.

She pulled out a spell card and declared its name. "Hail Sign "Hailstorm"!" she cried out.

Immediately an explosion of icy bullets spiraled outward from her. My vision was quickly covered in the bullets of ice. I was forced to dance between the bullets, jumping and sliding to the side in order to avoid the shots, but the uncanny movements of the danmaku made it very difficult to avoid them. I was struck several times and I yelped with each hit I took. It was painful, but I used that pain to fuel my power.

To the fairy's surprise, I flew up into the air and out of the hail of bullets. Cirno fired another wave of icy danmaku at me, but, with both my palms facing forward, I blew them all away with a powerful blast of magical blue energy. Cirno was forced to end her spell and leap out of the incoming blast of magic. She avoided being directly hit, but wasn't able to escape the explosion once my attack hit the ground. She was blasted away, but she caught herself in midair. She growled angrily at me then swiped her arm in an arc in front of her, sending out a wave of chilling air. I crossed my arms in front of me to shield myself from the wind, but the wind was so cold that it started to freeze the front of my body. Ice formed on me, leaving me in numbing pain. With a burst of power, I was able to break off all the ice and cancel out the icy wind. With a clear shot to my target, I rushed forward and got into melee distance with the shorty. I swiped my leg under her feet, but she jumped over it. I threw a punch towards her, but she formed a shield of ice to protect herself. I broke through the shield with my fist, catching the girl in the cheek. The icy shield had absorbed much of my momentum so I didn't hit her that hard. She easily took the punch with an arrogant grin. She went to kick me in the balls in retaliation, but I closed my legs on her, catching her leg. I then grabbed hold of her leg and swung her over my head and swung her about. She cried out for me to stop, so I did. I took her and smashed her into the ground. I again went to blast her with a bolt of energy, but she rolled out of the way in time. She got up to her feet and pulled out a spell card, as did I.

"Freeze Sign "Perfect Freeze"!" she declared.

"Blood Sign "Tormenting Soul"!" I declared.

Cirno unleashed a torrent of circular danmaku of ice towards me. I released my own wave of bloody red danmaku, countering her spell. Each of our bullets would collide with one another, unleashing an explosion, but some bullets would get through, forcing both of us to dodge. Even though we were putting a lot of energy into dodging, we both kept our spells going. It was draining to focus both on maintaining my spell and dodging the fairy's attack, but it must have been the same for her. As I danced through the horde of danmaku, I slowly closed the distance between me and the fairy. Once I got close enough, I ended my spell and rushed the girl down, I rammed into her, putting an end to her spell. I knocked her into a tree then crashed into her, smashing through the tree. I sent her rolling across the ground until she stopped. She slowly got up, clenching at her chest. She coughed and gagged from having the wind knocked out of her.

I shrugged my shoulders, nearly content with the amount of punishment I had given the ice fairy. "Are you ready to apologize, girl?" I asked.

"Never!" she shouted in utter defiance.

I sighed. "Fine then. Be that way," I said, stressed.

With my unnatural speed, I ran up to the fairy. She had pulled out another spell card, but I grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed it, forcing the card from her hand. She yelped from the pain then tried to form a sword of ice. I stopped her by kneeing her in the gut. I then wrapped my arms around her waist and lifted her up with her head behind me and her butt in the front of me. With the palm of my hand, I began to spank the ever living shit out of her.

"Ouch! Ow! Gah! Ow! S-Stop! I said stop! Gah!" Cirno cried out.

"It'll stop once you apologize," I said in earnest. "And I'd better hurry before your ass becomes completely red."

The girl stubbornly refused at first, but soon I had broken her. "F-Fine! I'm sorry, okay?! Please stop!" she yelled. And with that, I released her. She hit the ground with an oof and then tried to get to her feet. She struggled to stand. She started rubbing her pained ass. "Ooo, it hurts so much! Damn it!"

That green-haired fairy appeared and rushed to her friend's side. "Cirno, are you okay?" she asked.

"It's my butt! The bastard slapped my butt!" Cirno exclaimed as she continued to rub her sore behind.

I reached for the sky in a stretch. "Alright, I feel better now," I said. I then glared at the two fairies. "Never steal from me again. Got it?"

Both the girls let out a small cry of fright. "We won't, we swear!" the green-haired girl said.

"Good!" I said with a smile.

I turned to take my leave, but my fight for the second glowing nail was not over. Blocking my way home was that bunny girl from Eientei. It was the one who Marisa battled with so I could get away that night I got the glowing nail. She had an awfully intense look on her face.

I stood on guard. "Reisen, was it? What is it you want," I asked.

The rabbit girl looked to me then to the two fairies behind me then back to me. "It looks like you had some trouble with those two. Too bad I didn't get here sooner. I could have gotten that nail from the fairies and not have had to bother with you. Then again, catching you outside the mansion with the nail all alone is quite lucky for me," she said.

"You say that like you could possibly take the nail away from me," I said with sternness in my voice.

"But of course. I was going to sneak in the mansion and take back what you had stolen, but it would appear that won't be necessary," she said. "It would be even better if you simply returned what you stole. I won't even ask for an apology. Just give me the nail and we can be on our merry way." She held out her hand and waited for me to return the nail. Was this girl nuts?

"You're gonna have to destroy me first before I ever give you this nail," I said with intense determination.

The girl looked shocked and even frighten at my resolve. "Why is that nail so important to you for you to go that far? I don't want to hurt you over it," she said.

"It's to protect my master. It's as simple as that," I stated.

"Hmm… I see," Reisen said as she thought about my words. She then sighed. "This isn't going to turn out well, I'm afraid."

"It is what it is," I said. "If you want this nail returned so badly then you better come at me with everything you have."

Reisen looked sad, but she then tightened up her face and glared back at me. "I was ordered to get back the nail you stole and that's exactly what I'm going to do," she said. I felt her resolve, but was it stronger than my own? We were going to find out.

The rabbit girl didn't waste any more time talking and blasted off towards me. She threw a punch at me and I blocked it with my arms. She quickly kicked me in the knee, making me lose my balance before getting in a punch to my face. I snarled angrily then threw my own punch at her. She stepped to the side to avoid the punch then retaliated with an elbow to my nose, crushing it. Blood poured from my nostrils. Growing ever angrier, I threw a jab at her then a second, but she avoided both. She was quick both on her feet and in her arms. She jabbed me in return in the chest then uppercutted me, knocking me backwards. I kept on my feet then rushed the girl. I went to ram into her with my shoulder, but she leapt into the air and landed hard on my head. She bounced off me and landed behind me. I swung around with a hook shot and caught her in the face, knocking her backwards. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of her mouth, but she kept a harden expression. She then flew up into the air and pulled out a spell card.

"Wave Sign "Mind Shaker"!" she declared and rings of blue and pink bullets was unleashed.

I gasped from the amount of danmaku her spell released, but I quickly got ready to avoid the horde of bullets. I flew straight up, going through the canopy of the forest and into the sky. Reisen followed me while firing off wave after wave of magical bullets. I dodged left and right, but I couldn't avoid them all. I took several hits, each hit stinging like a son of a bitch. The rings of bullets had become tighter all of a sudden, making it nearly impossible for me to squeeze through them. So I decided to form a ball of blue energy in the palm of my hand then threw it. I detonated the ball of energy, unleashing a large explosion and clearing a space out for me to go through. I rushed to get into melee range with the rabbit girl and I managed to do so. She ended her spell in time to avoid a wide swing from me. She kneed me in the gut then head-butted me, but she merely bounced her own head off mine, hurting herself more than me. She was stunned from her own attack so I took the opportunity to punch her in the nose, but she… moved strangely. No, she didn't exactly move. It was like I simply missed her. I tried to punch her again, but just like the first punch, I somehow missed a non-moving target. It was then I realized that my vision was a little wavy. I couldn't even begin to tell you why. It wasn't from fatigue, I know that for sure. It was something else and I suspected the rabbit girl had something to do with it.

Taking advantage of my confused state, Reisen roundhouse kicked me in the side, sending me flying. I caught myself then quickly pulled out a spell card. "Fury Sign "Spiraling Madness"!" I declared.

With my right arm held out straight, two beams of red and blue color circled down the length of my arm and fired towards Reisen. The two beams formed the shape of a helix as it flew across the sky. She dodged the first beam. I held out my left arm and fired another beam of energy towards her. She evaded that one too, but I started firing beams of energy rapidly, alternating between my right and left arms. She danced around the sky, moving and stopping every which way in order to avoid being struck by my attack. She held out for a while, but I managed to land a hit on her. A beam hit her, erupting into an explosion on impact. I heard her cry out in anguish as she was knocked out of the sky. I didn't stop my attack and continued firing at the girl as she fell out of the sky. She fell back into the forest below and I bombarded the entire area. The explosions rumbled the land below and destroyed trees. After some time passed, I ceased my spell and flew down into the forest.

The ground was riddled with holes from my attack. Smoke emitted from the holes, obscuring my vision of the area. But soon the smoke departed and I was given a clear view of the place. Reisen was standing with her hand to her burned belly. That's where I must have hit her with my attack. She looked like she was in pain as she panted. She glared deeply at me.

"You can always go home, you know," I said, a bit desperate to end this fight as soon as possible.

"I cannot do that," she replied.

I sighed angrily. "Fine. Be stubborn," I said.

"I'm surprised you are able to fly. I assumed you couldn't," Reisen said.

"Yeah, well, I trained long and hard to be able to fly for a moment like this," I informed.

"That makes me wonder… Why don't you have wings like those other two vampires? You were created by one of them right? So shouldn't you have wings as they do?" she asked.

The thought never hit me before now. I mean, I knew I didn't have a set, but I never really cared, especially during the time I was being defiant with Remilia. But now that I was being asked about my lack of wings, I wanted to know why I didn't have any. Another question to ask Lady Remilia. I'll ask her when I present her with the second glowing nail.

"I don't know why, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is that you need to go home right now," I said.

The girl sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter, as you said, but I'm not going home empty handed," she said.

"I beg to differ," I said.

I kicked off the ground and ran towards the girl. But that's when it hit me. My stomach was suddenly hurting, as if I was about ready to puke. In pain, I held my gut. I looked to the ground and noticed it was wobbling. What the hell was going on? I looked back up and noticed that Reisen too seemed to wobble. No, my entire vision was wobbling. What was going on with my vision? What was this girl doing to me? Did she somehow drug me? I wasn't given much time to think before the girl launched her next attack.

"Illusion Wave "Mind Blowing"!" she declared and two identical waves of blue and pink bullet shaped danmaku were released.

I went to move, but I lost my balance. I looked at my legs and they were swaying like crazy. The pain in my stomach became intense and I was about to throw up before the wave of danmaku reached me. I was left defenseless as I was pelted hard by the attack. I took hits everywhere on my body. By the time the spell was over, I was lying on my back, suffering from all the blows I took. Groaning from all the pain, I managed to sit myself up, but when I did, that's when I ended up throwing up on the ground. My head swayed from side to side as my vision became too distorted for me to stand up. There was nothing I could do in such a state.

Reisen walked up to me. Her eyes seemed to glow. "Sorry I did what I did, but it was the only way to subdue you before things got really violent," she said.

I stared up at her. "Wh-What did you do to me?" I demanded an answer.

"You're going a little insane. You keep staring into my eyes long enough and you truly will lose it," she said.

"You're kidding me."

"I'm not," she said then crouched down in front of me. "It's time you return what you stole." She reached into my pocket and took the gleaming nail. She looked at it and sighed in relief. "I'll tell the princess that you fought hard to keep this."

 _No, no, no! I can't lose the nail! I need to do something! Think! Think!_

And do something I did. With desperation at its most critical point, I let out the most horrid screech one could ever hear. It was a screech of a vampire at their breaking point. The screech shook my body and the air around me. My own ears bled from the incredibly loud noise I was producing. But I wasn't the only one to be effected by my powerful screech. Reisen too was suffering from the noise and had dropped the nail in order to clasp her hands over her ears. They too bled. She screamed for me to stop, but I didn't stop until there was no more air in my lungs. Once it was over, I was coughing and gagging. Reisen was on the ground trembling, her hands still over her ears. My body also shook, but my vision had finally been corrected and the pain in my stomach had ceased. I quickly snatched the glowing nail off the ground and stood up.

"It's done," I said, panting from fatigue.

I remembered the rabbit girl saying she was going to try and steal the nail from the mansion. If I were to leave now and leave her be, would she try to do just that at another date? The idea left a terrible taste in my mouth. I pulled out my revolver, but I did not point it at the girl. The girl opened her eyes to see the gun in my hand. She shivered more from the sight.

"Y-You wouldn't," she said in a weak voice.

I simply looked at her for a few moments before letting out a drawn out sigh. I put the revolver away. "No. I wouldn't. But for all that is holy, if you make any attempt to steal this nail back from the mansion, I will find you and do what I have to do. You just don't have any idea how important this thing is," I said. I let out another sigh. "Tell that so-called princess of yours that she'll never get the nail back. But… Tell her that I'll do something to repay her. I don't know what, but I'll try to do something. Alright?" I leaned down and presented my hand out to Reisen.

She looked at my hand and hesitated for a moment before taking hold of my hand. I helped her up to her feet. Her legs were still shaking, but she was able to remain standing. That screech of mine really did a number on her.

Reisen nodded. "Though I'm going to be punished for not being able to retrieve the nail, I will tell the princess what you told me," she said.

"It's better for this nail to be in our possession. It's for everyone's own good, not just my master's." I said with a small smile.

"Is it though, young fledgling?" the voice of another woman suddenly said.

Reisen and I looked to our side to find a blonde woman sticking out of some kind of hole in space. I was disturbed by what I saw, but it wasn't the first time I saw this woman. Her blazing yellow eyes were locked on mine and she held an intimidating smile. It was only when I saw her again after all this time did I remember her name.

"Yu… Yukari?" I asked for conformation.

The woman's smile enlarged further. "That's right, my dear," she said. "Why don't we… have a little chat, you and I…?"

What choice did I have? I needed to get the damn nail back to the mansion, but there was no refusing this woman. I was too hurt and frighten to. So, with a reluctant nod I gave, she stepped out of her gap then gestured me to enter it. With a heavy gulp, I took a step forward toward the gap with the many eyes looking out at me. The eyes took hold of me and pulled at me. I stopped right before entering. I had to strengthen my resolve before I could take that final step into the gap. I steeled my heart and entered, not knowing what was waiting for me on the other side.


	28. Chapter 27 Search Completed

I found myself in the home of what the inhabitants of Gensokyo called the Youkai Sage, or Youkai of Boundaries. I nervously sat at a table in what I assumed to be the living room. In the house appeared to be three residents. First one would be the Youkai Sage herself Yukari Yakumo. The second would be her servant Ran Yakumo, the other blonde with the nine tales. I assumed she was some kind of fox spirit. Then there was this cute little bugger her served Ran. She was this small cat like being. Her name was Chen and she had two cat tails and a set of cat ears. She had brown hair and eyes and on her head was a green mob cap. She wore a red dress with a light pink trim on the bottom of the dress as well as light pink sleeves. They were an interesting bunch, that's for sure.

I waited at the table alone for a time before Ran came in with two glass cups and a bottle of what looked to be wine. It had gotten late so I couldn't say it wasn't the time to be drinking. She sat the cup in front of me then poured me a glass.

"Thanks," I said, still feeling a little nervous.

"You're welcome," she said with a small bow. She sat the other glass at the other side of the table and filled it with wine before leaving the room.

I sighed, thoughts racing through my mind. Wondering what exactly the Youkai of Gaps wanted with me was driving me crazy. Not only that, but I feared her taking the gleaming nail that was still in my pocket. Getting it to Remilia was extremely important, but I was unable to say no to Yukari's invitation. She gave off a powerful aura that easily subdued me. If she wanted to take the nail from me then I stood no chance in stopping her. I kept calling out in my head for my master to help me, but I got no reply.

I sat in the room alone for a while before suddenly that Chen girl came in with another bottle of wine. She smiled at me as she approached then went to pour me a glass despite it already being practically full. Thankfully she noticed the glass was already filled before she tried to pour the wine she had.

She looked awfully confused, but in an adorable way. "Wh-Wh-What is this? You already have some?" she said.

I tried not to laugh. "I sure do," I said. "Your master already had some wine on her so she poured me some."

"But I was supposed to bring the wine!" she complained angrily.

 _Well don't take it out on me._

"You could always pour me some more if it'll make you happy. There's a little room left. May as well pour it to the brim," I said.

"Okay!" she gleefully said.

 _What a tone shift…_

The cat girl went ahead and filled my glass to the brim. She seemed happy about it so it wasn't like I could complain or anything. Guess she was just anxious to serve a drink.

"Thanks, kid," I said before leaning down and then taking a sip of my drink to bring it back down some so it wasn't at the brim anymore.

I sat back up then noticed the girl was staring at me with narrowed eyes. "Whoa… You alright?" I asked.

"I'm no kid. YOU"RE the kid, kid vampire," she said.

I rolled my eyes. "Now let's not start this argument. I may be a new vampire, but that doesn't make me a kid. I was like, in my early twenties or something before becoming a vampire," I said.

"That makes me older than you!" she said happily.

"I… Well…" She was a youkai of some type so maybe she wasn't wrong? Doesn't matter. I was totally more mature than her.

"I'm older than a vampire! That's so cool!" she exclaimed before nearly dropping the wine bottle she was holding. "I… I should go. Bye!" She ran off out of the room all excited.

 _She came in here just to gloat, didn't she?_

Suddenly a gap opened up inside the room. Out stepped Yukari and the gap closed behind her. She took a seat at the other end of the table across from me. She wore a smile that still managed to intimidate me. It felt like her eyes were staring into my soul. Despite all that, she was a beautiful woman to look at.

My eyes went to the glass of wine in front of me. Nervousness was getting the better of me. I think I was sweating, making me unpresentable. Then again, my clothe weren't in good shape from the fights I had gotten in before Yukari showed up and 'invited' me to her home so certainly she must have not cared how I looked at the moment. I managed to sit there and patiently wait for her to say something.

"Is there something the matter, dear Isaac?" Yukari asked.

I looked up at her then immediately back down at the glass of wine. "No, not really," I lied.

"Sorry for suddenly bringing you to my home, but you did say you would visit me the last time we saw one another," she said. "I guess you could say I got tired of waiting." She chuckled a little.

I looked back up at her. "Oh, I see. Yeah, I did say I would. I'm sorry I didn't. It's just that I've been extremely busy with things," I said.

"Oh, that's quite alright," she said then took a small sip of her wine. She then looked to me without saying a word. I then felt that she was waiting for me to taste the wine I had so I did. It was good. "Have you grown accustomed to the world of Gensokyo yet?"

I nodded. "I think so. I still get rattled by a few things, but I think I've grown used to living here," I said.

"Good, good!" she said cheerfully. "It would appear you have finally gotten along with your little master. Is this true?"

"It is. I mean, we still argue over things, but I've accepted her as my master."

"I am glad to hear that, young Isaac. I was worried about you at first, but you've exceeded my expectations."

I was a little surprised to hear that. "You had expectations for me?"

"But of course." She took another sip of her wine and I followed suit. "It seems you've learned to take care of yourself. That's important when it comes to surviving here in our world."

"Tell me about it," I said with a short laugh.

"It would appear you've been hunting down certain objects and that would seem to have gotten you into some trouble with certain residents here," Yukari said.

"Yeah, that's true," I said, shuddering at the memories of the encounters I had when retrieving those nails.

It was also a subject I didn't want to get into. Would this woman ask me to give her the nail I currently held? And if she did, how would I be able to refuse her? Would she take a no for an answer? I didn't know and I didn't want to find out.

Yukari began tracing her finger around the edges of her glass cup. "Why are you collecting such things, Isaac?" she asked calmly.

"Simple. I need them in order to protect Remilia," I stated sternly.

"Is that really all that's to it?" she asked.

"Well… I think it would do all of Gensokyo good if I were to be able to get a hold of the glowing nails," I replied honestly.

"Hmm… I'm not so sure about that, my dear," she said, her focus still on the glass.

"Why you say that?" I asked, curious.

"You see, here in Gensokyo we have a delicate balance of powers. You could say it's what keeps the peace here," she said.

"Yeah, I've heard. I've been told me being created messed with that balance. I'm sorry for that, but there's nothing I can do about it," I stated.

"Yes, but now you are trying to collect three powerful artifacts. Two which you already possess."

Now I was getting really nervous. "I told you why already," I said earnestly.

"Hmm… You don't seem to know what exactly those artifacts are, do you?" she asked me.

"I know they're powerful. That's about it," I spoke honestly.

The woman chuckled. "Those nails glow with the power of a god. They were soaked in _that_ god's blood. Knowing this, do you still want to collect them?"

At first I didn't understand what she was talking about. But when I looked back on that dark dream and the crosses that were in them, it suddenly dawned on me. "You can't be serious," I said.

"I'm quite serious, fledgling," she said.

At first I didn't believe her, but my gut feeling was scratching at my mind, telling me it was true. I didn't want to believe it because that would indeed tip the balance of power into Remilia's favor. Though I'm supposed to help make her stronger, the peace of Gensokyo was also something I believed in. It made me want to throw away the nail that was sitting in my pocket. How could I've been so reckless in collecting them? Not knowing what they truly were, I risked everything to get them. Does Remilia know what they are? Why do I have a feeling that she does? Why wouldn't she tell me? Who am I kidding, she never tells me anything. Knowing now what the nails came from made it all the more important to keep them from ever falling into the hands of the green-haired person in my dreams that's for sure. But I didn't want to upset the balance. Not that I think Remilia would use the power of the nails for nefarious reasons… Thinking about it, I still had the desire to get a hold of all the nails and bring them to the Scarlet Mansion. I trust everyone in the mansion to help safeguard them. I hope that would be the right choice.

"You're thinking hard," Yukari said, jerking me away from my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah, guess you can say that," I said, scratching my head in nervousness.

"Would you mind if I took a look at the nail you have?" she asked and damn was I reluctant to oblige her. I completely tensed up and narrowed my eyes at the woman. A wide smile ran across her face. "I don't intend on stealing it from you, Isaac."

I was awfully hesitant, but I think if she wanted my nail then she would have already have taken it, so with a heavy sigh, I pulled out the nail from my pocket then pushed it across the table. Yukari picked it up and started to examine it. It was a good while by the time she said something about it.

"I always wondered how these nails got into Gensokyo. Does it make you wonder too, Isaac?" she asked softly.

"I suppose I have once or twice, but I never really cared how, just that I needed to collect them," I replied.

"I understand, but you should really be careful when retrieving them. I was worried about how you were going to deal with the lunar rabbit when you pulled out that little gun of yours," she said.

"I wasn't going to do anything," I asserted. ""Was just scaring her, that's all."

She chuckled. "I see. I see…" After a few more looks of the nail she pushed it across the table back to me. I took it and placed it back in my pocket. "What will you do when you get the last nail?" she asked.

She sounded pretty confident that I would even get the third nail. "Take it to the Scarlet Mansion and keep it there for safe keeping. That's all," I said honestly.

"Is that all?" she asked with a sudden frown.

"Yeah. I don't intend on doing anything evil with them, you know. I've had this dream where a green-haired individual takes the nails and does something bad with them. I want to prevent that," I said.

Yukari looked rather surprised, but I couldn't tell if she was faking it or not. "Oh, my! That is rather ominous. If you had a dream like that, it could very well be true," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "You believe the dream?" I asked. Not that I was lying, but her instant trust in a dream I had was weird. To anyone else it would be just some random dream so why is it she's so easily treating it as real?

"Of course, dear. Don't you even know your own abilities?" she said then clicked her tongue in disappointment.

"Eh… You trying to say I can predict the future or something?" I asked jokingly.

Her smile widened again. It was actually quite unnerving. "That master of yours really does want you to figure things out on your own, now doesn't she?" she said.

"Indeed she does," I said.

"Let me ask you a question," she started. "Do you believe in fate?"

"Fate? I never really thought about it being a thing," I answered.

"What if I said you had the power to control it?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, of course I'd have the power to control my own fate."

The woman giggled. It was a cute giggle, but it worried me. "Oh, I don't mean just yourself."

"Now you're just talking crazy talk."

"But it's true. You take after your master quite a bit. Isaac, you've inherited her ability to control fate."

Hearing her talk nonsense was boring me. "That's not possible."

"It isn't? In this phantasmal world of Gensokyo, you can't find it possible to have such a power?"

"Sure, there's magic and all, but to control someone else's fate? If I could do that, I could make sure everyone that I cared about wouldn't suffer a bad fate. I wouldn't need to collect these damn nails," I said, somewhat upset.

"If only it were that simple, right?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah," I said. I took my glass and drank up all the wine in one gulp. "Things would be simpler…"

The woman chuckled. "I'm sorry if I made you depressed. I just thought I would help you by informing you of your powers and the nature of the nails," she said.

"No, I'm fine. It… It just got my thinking is all," I said assuredly.

And think I did. I thought about the dream and how I could protect Remilia, no, everyone from that cruel fate. If I truly did have the power to control fate, then it should be easy for me to divert what happens in that dream. So knowing this, why did I feel so upset? Where did my confidence go all of a sudden? I think Yukari was just trying to help me, but everything she has said to me has left my resolve in shambles. I feel pathetic…

"You look so down, Isaac. Did I upset you?" Yukari asked.

"Nah," I lied.

"Let me cheer you up," she said with a golden smile.

A small gap opened up in front of her and she stuck her head in it. Another small gap then opened in front of my face and out popped Yukari's head. I gasped in surprise from her face suddenly being so close to mine. She was smiling at me, but then she closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She then waited. Was she letting me kiss her? That was her idea to cheer me up? Well, I didn't really mind. I mean, why should I? Just the thought of it actually made me happy. So, with the chance to kiss her open to me, I closed my eyes and went in to kiss her on her lips. When I slowly approached, I suddenly felt something quite cold touch my lips. The coldness surprised me, forcing my eyes open. I then saw that Yukari had placed something up against my lips. I couldn't believe it at first, but it was a nail. Did she just take my nail from my pocket and used it to keep me from kissing her? I was rather disappointed.

Glaring at Yukari, I took the nail back and placed it in my pocket and when I did, I realized my pocket was already occupied with something. I pulled it out to find that it was a nail. I looked on in shock at the two nails I was suddenly holding.

"Wh-What the?!" I exclaimed.

"Let's just say I trust you with it. Though I do intend on taking it back at some point," she said before reeling her head back in through the gap.

"You… You can't be serious," I said, my eyes on the two glowing nails.

I couldn't believe it. Yukari had just given me the third and final nail. There was no fight, no struggle. She just handed it to me like it was nothing. She MUST have been planning something. She must have. Why give me such a powerful artifact?

I looked up at the Youkai Sage and glared at her. "Why?" I sternly said.

"I told you already. I just think it would be more beneficial to me if you were to have it. It would also take a load off Ran's shoulders. The poor dear could use it," she said before letting out another ominous chuckle.

Now I needed to get home. I couldn't handle holding TWO glowing nails. I had a major target on my back now. And, my god, the look on Remilia's face when I present to her TWO glowing nails. I couldn't wait any longer. I already know what I'm going to do to her as a reward.

"So I can just take this and leave? No strings attached?" I asked, worried.

"Of course. Just remember that I am simply lending it to you. I will one day want it back," Yukari said.

"Are you sure about that? Lady Remilia may not be so keen on returning it," I said.

"Oh, I'm sure you or her won't want it once you're done with those nails," she said.

"Sure," I said. I really didn't intend on returning the nail while I still lived, to be completely honest. Not that I would fight the Youkai of Boundaries. I'd die for sure. So, I got up on my feet. "Sorry, but I can't stay any longer. I must get home. I'll try to visit again, if you want me to."

The woman let out a drawn out yawn before speaking. "Goodness gracious, I've grown tired," she said. "It was really nice to have a chat with you. Yes, I would like you to come again. Don't be too long this time, though."

"I won't," I assured her. "Mind making one of those gaps to the mansion for me?"

She yawned again then laid down on the floor. "I'm afraid I'm too tired. I must ask you to fly yourself home," she said.

After just a moment, the woman appeared to be sleeping. "You're kidding me, right?" I said.

 _She's not kidding! She really is asleep! God damn it!_

I was really being forced to fly home. I don't even know where home is from where I'm at. But with the final two glowing nails in my possession, I had to fly like a bat out of hell and get home. If I can just make it home, everything would be alright. Remilia and I would have won over that dark dream for good and we could finally rest peacefully.


	29. Chapter 28 A Dark Omen

Tired, exhausted, worn down, and just plain old beat, I flew my way home from Yukari's place. I made sure to fly low, hoping not to attract any attention. I had two of the gleaming nails and one was already back at the mansion for a total of three nails. The moment I get these two nails back home, it would be finished. I would have beaten that dark dream and what it foretold. No one evil would be able to get their hands on the nails, green-haired or otherwise. I couldn't wait to present the nails to Lady Remilia. I could only imagine what the look on her face will be like when the glow of the nails' shine upon her beautiful face. I was certain to get my reward from her and damn did I ever need it. It's been too long, damn it.

It was a long flight, but I did manage to find my way home with no further incidents. I touched down in front of the main gate where Meiling was standing guard per usual. Without a single word, I embraced her and lifted her off her feet and twirled her around. She didn't understand my joy, but I explained to her what I was carrying with me and then she understood. She was very happy for me and congratulated me full-heartedly. With only a brief chat, I went inside the mansion and immediately went looking for Remilia. I realized what time it was. It was in the middle of the day where Remilia would still be sleeping. It wouldn't be another couple hours or so before she would be waking up. Knowing that, it didn't stop me from heading to her room. I was going to wake her ass up now and not a minute later. She won't care once she sees the two glowing nails in my hands. So, I went straight to her room and barged in.

There she was, sleeping peacefully in bed. She was wearing a once-piece to bed. Her blankets were thrown off to the side. Must have gotten too warm. I sneaked my way towards her then crawled into her bed. I got on top of her. I wore a shit-eating grin as I stared down at her sleeping form. Surprised I didn't wake her yet. She must be in a deep sleep. So with my chance given, I leaned down and kissed her up and down the length of her neck. She moaned in her sleep from the soft kisses I was giving her. With my right hand, I glided it down the side of her waist. With my left hand, I gently held her chin. I then went in for the kill and placed my lips upon hers. With a long kiss given, her eye lids quivered before slowly opening half way. She looked up at me for a moment, not realizing who she was looking at. She then realized and her eyes opened the rest of the way. She then narrowed her eyes at me.

"What were you doing to me?" she asked.

My grin widened. "Oh, nothing. Just trying to get your body worked up," I gleefully said.

"I'll give you the count of zero to get off me before I knee you in the gonads," she said irritably.

"Before you do that, check this out," I said. I then pulled out the two glowing nails that I'd been carrying. I proudly presented them to Remilia. With the glow of the nails shining upon her face, her expression changed to that of wonder and amazement. "They're ours now, Remilia. No one can ever use them against us. I promised you that I'd get them all and that I did."

"You…! You didn't just get the one… but the third one as well. I… I must admit that I'm a bit speechless at the moment. I was confident you'd get them… but so soon?" she said disjointedly. Her lips formed into a smile. "You did well, my childe. You have developed so well."

My joy was beyond its limits, but I did have some aggravating questions for my master. I glared down at her as my expression tightened up. "Milady… Did you know the nature of these nails? If so, why didn't you tell me?" I asked sternly.

Her eyes went off to the side as her happy demeanor changed. She seemed reluctant to answer my question at first, but she did speak up eventually. "I did… I said nothing about their nature because I was afraid that would deter you from collecting them," she said then her eyes met mine again. "I take it you had a run in with that Youkai Sage, didn't you?"

I nodded. "Yes. She told me a couple things that I think you should have told me long ago. What is this thing about me being able to control people's fates? Is it true I have such an ability and does that mean you do as well?" I said.

Remilia looked uncomfortable with my questions. I got off atop of Remilia so she may sit up in bed. I sat there and patiently waited for her to answer.

"My methods to help you grow may not be the best of methods, but I do think it's the best method available to me," she started. "To let you learn on your own with some help, I thought you would never become overwhelmed with your powers and responsibilities. We vampires are powerful beings, but that power comes at a cost. So easily can it destroy us from within. I've seen it happen so many times in my long life that it makes me sick just thinking about it. The last thing I want is for my first and only childe to be destroyed by his own powers. I told you nothing so that you may slowly gain such dangerous knowledge bit by bit. Knowing what you do now, does it scare you?"

"Hmm… Honestly, it does. Three nails that were used to crucify a god and the power to manipulate the fate of others? It's mindboggling. How can such things exist in this world? How far could we go with such power? It terrifies me that there is someone out there that wants the glowing nails to use in whatever nefarious scheme they have planned. It makes me want to grow even stronger than I am now so I can counter such power. But what does it take to grow that strong? What do I have to sacrifice?"

"Oh, my dear childe." Remilia placed her hand upon my cheek and softly stroked it in an attempt to ease my mind. "You will understand such things as time passes. But it takes years, hundreds of years to understand such things. In the meantime, you can't let such dark thoughts cloud your mind."

"Easier said than done," I said.

"It truly is," Remilia said with a nod of agreement. "But I know you can do it. I've had faith in you from day one."

"Really?" I said in surprise. "Heh… Even when I was being a total ass?"

"Yes, even then," she said with a smile.

More questions brew in my mind. Questions that I didn't think should be asked, but I ended up asking anyways. "Why?" I asked sullenly. "Why did you choose me? I still don't believe that you simply changed me because you found me dying in the woods. What was the reason? I deserve to know."

Remilia looked deeply into my eyes, her expression tranquil. "Because it was your fate to," she said to my surprise. "As you have asked, I too have the ability to manipulate fate and to see the fate of others in dreams. I dreamed of you. I dreamed of your life and how you lived. A man with no goals, no real destination. Just a lone wanderer searching for something in life. But there was nothing for you in life. It was in death that you would find your real purpose in existence. And that you did."

"You… know who I once was?" I asked, stunned from what I was hearing.

Remilia nodded. "You were such a sad man who did well in hiding it. A man with nothing but his toy, driving the roads to nowhere," she said.

"Speaking of my toy, did you tell Yukari about my motorcycle? I found it at some village full of kappas," I said.

Remilia puffed up her cheeks at me. "You found out about it?" she asked.

"Yeah, when I was looking for the ice fairy," I stated.

"Oh, that was supposed to be a surprise for you. I just thought it would make a nice gift for you if those kappas were able to fix it." She looked awfully disappointed.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I was absolutely surprised to find it. It's not in working order, but on my times off I could go over to that village and put my old mechanic skills to work."

"I can allow that," she said. She then placed her hands on my face, pulled me close to her and kissed me. "I'll admit it… This face of yours also brought me to you. I… found it charming. Looking at it makes me feel… warm."

Again I was surprised with what I was hearing. I wasn't certain what she meant by feeling 'warm', but it did make me wonder a lot. I then took notice of her wings. I looked behind me, both left and right to find nothing.

"Another thought… Why don't I have wings like you? I got the teeth and eyes, but no wings?" I questioned.

"You will get them when you earn them. That's all I'll say about that," she said.

"Hmm…" With everything that I heard, my mind was racing with many thoughts. "Now that we have the nails… What are we going to do with them?" I asked.

"We will simply keep them hidden inside the mansion and keep them safe. Trying to use them for anything could trigger the other residents of Gensokyo. Though, simply having them could pose a problem, but that can be dealt with," she said. "We still need to be on guard for anyone with green-hair. I too have that dark dream, the same as you, though I seem unable to see the outcome of that dream. I assume that's the same for you?"

"Yup, it's always the same. A circle of crosses with people, including you, nailed to them and in the center is someone nailed to a cross using the glowing nails," I informed.

"Yes, the person in the middle would be Reimu," Remilia said.

"Reimu? Why Reimu?" I asked.

"I have a hunch, but I can't be for certain as to why," she said. "I'm going to need you to go inform her of our dream so that she may be on guard. I also wish for you to tell her about us possessing the three nails and try to convince her that we plan on doing nothing with them other than to keep them safe. She may get antsy about us having such powerful artifacts."

"I hope that can wait till later," I said as I leaned in close to Remilia's face and kissed her on her lips.

Soon we were engaging each other in a passionate kiss. Just after a moment, Remilia had stuck her tongue in my mouth and twirled it around my own. We ended up making out for a good while. We parted for a chance to breathe. Her face was flushed and I'm sure mine was as well. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I went in to kiss her neck, but that's when she suddenly decided to stop me with a finger to my nose. She pushed me back away from her as she held a disturbed expression. What on earth could be bothering her at such a critical moment?

"You smell," she said.

"Huh?"

"I said you smell. Go take a bath," she demanded.

"I-but, I…!"

"You heard me. Now go."

"I just got back from flying around and fighting! I need this!"

"What you need is a bath and to go inform Reimu. Don't make me tell you again," she said as she pointed to the door. "We have plenty of time to fool around later. First the important things need to be dealt with."

I looked to her with eyes that begged, but she didn't move an inch. So with a heavy sigh, I did as I was told and headed for the bath. Once I got outside her room, I took a whiff of myself and was not pleased at all. Now I couldn't blame Remilia for kicking me out. Damn, did I need a bath…

* * *

With a quick bath taken, I was out the mansion doors and into the sky and on my way to Reimu's shrine in no time flat. It was supposed to be a straight shot there with no concerns, but I ended up running into Aya somehow among the vast skies. The first thing out of her mouth was questions about the people at Eientei and my involvement with them. She already knew that I had stolen from them yet she couldn't resist getting me to say it out loud. I resisted at first, but eventually I yielded and said it out loud for her in order to satisfy her so I could hopefully get a move on. But, no, more questions came pouring out of her mouth about mostly nonsense so I ended up trying to fly away from her. Not really surprised, she was faster than me and obstructed my way to Reimu's place. That's when I got mad enough to pull out a spell card. In response to my desperation, Aya laughed herself to tears.

"You know I don't need this kind of shit right now, right?" I said crossly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I've seen you fight from the shadows, but there's no way you'd beat me in the sky. On the ground, maybe, but not all the way up here," she said as she struggled to stop laughing.

"Then will you cut me some slack and let me get a move on already? I got important things to do," I said.

The damn girl winked at me. "Tell Aya where you're going and maybe I'll let you off the hook for today," she said.

"Dear Christ…" I said as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm going to Reimu's, alright?"

"Oh! So you are going to try and woo her like you did the gate guard, huh? I hope you don't mind if I come and take pictures like I did with you and Miss Hong."

I sighed. "That's not what I'm…" I fell silent for a moment when what she said registered in my head. I started to fume the instant the realization hit me. "You did what?!" I shouted.

The evil girl grinned. "That's riiiiight, Mister. I got a load of good pictures from every angle possible without you two having any idea it was happening," she said without a hint of shame.

I stared at her stunned for a moment before speaking up. "Wait a minute…" I said as my head started to cool down. "I don't even care."

"Huh? You don't care? Of course you do," Aya said, looking rather flustered suddenly.

"No, I don't. I couldn't care less if you took pictures of me taking a shit. I just can't bring myself to care."

Aya then looked angry. "Oh, come on! You have to care! How else am I supposed to black mail you?" she said. "Well, I can still black mail the gate guard I guess."

"Yeah, I figured that's what you wanted. What for, I won't even bother asking. I'm just going to kill you one of these days. It may not be today or tomorrow, but one of these days," I said half-jokingly.

"Hee hee, I'm always up for a good fight. So I'll look forward to it when you get even better at flying."

I brushed my hand through my hair, got myself pumped and ready to fly off towards my destination. "Alright, we good now? I need to get going," I said anxiously.

"I'm going with you."

"Yeah, and why?"

"Cause escorting you to the priestess's place is the perfect excuse to go there," she said. "I can't just show up for no reason."

"I have this funny feeling that hasn't stopped you before."

"So it's a date!" She flew beside me then wrapped her arms around one of mine. "I'll fly us there since you're obviously too slow. Ready?"

Being nice and close to a cute girl was nice and all, but I was too distracted by the sudden fear that overtook me. "Now, wait a damn minute-"

"And off we go!" Aya shouted then suddenly took off at an insane speed with me in tow.

My lips flapped in the wind as we seem to fly faster and faster. I tried to call out to the tengu to slow down, but my voice went either unheard or ignored. Needless to say, it didn't take us all too long to get to the shrine.

Once we had reached the shrine, Aya came to a sudden stop, releasing me in the process. I, of course, continued flying forward. Unable to stop myself in time, I ended up crashing into the front doors of the shrine, breaking through them. I hit the floor and rolled until I hit a wall. Thankfully I didn't break through it. I was already quite aware of the damage I already had done to the place and that didn't set me up well with the owner I'm sure. Rubbing my sore head, I sat up and remained sitting until my vision stopped spinning. Once my vision was back to normal, I looked around the room and instantly found myself to not be alone. Right in front of me stood Reimu! Just the girl I needed to talk with. First I needed to apologize for breaking her front door. I would have then and there, but I was distracted by the fact that she was standing in nothing but a set of white underwear. My damn eyes went on autopilot and looked her up and down before settling on her pair of small, but subtle breasts. She had a nice white skin color I tell you what. I then looked to her face and all I had staring back at me was a pissed off lady. Her face was burning red.

And I just burst out laughing. "Well, fuck this situation, am I right?" I said. My laughter ended as soon as the flat of her foot struck my face.

After being kicked, I sat silently staring at a wall while Reimu finished changing into her uniform behind me. I wanted to apologize to her for the sudden drop in, but she demanded that I remain silent. I was sweating in fearful anticipation to what else she might do to me for seeing her near-complete nude body. I was really hoping that one kick was enough for her. God I hope it was…

"You can turn around now," I suddenly heard. So with permission granted I stood up and turned around to face Reimu.

I nearly dropped to my knees in front of her. "Look, I'm very sorry about that. I didn't-"

"Mean to, yes, I get it." Reimu said with a huff. Her face was flushed. She was obviously still very much embarrassed (too embarrassed to even look me in the eyes) and who could blame her? "Not only did you break my shrine doors, but you… saw me…" She held her arms across her chest as if to hide them further.

"I can explain," I said in haste.

She finally looked to me while holding an angry expression. "Can you?" she said, clearly not believing me.

"It was this tengu named Aya's fault," I said stressfully.

Reimu said nothing in reply and just rolled her eyes. She then looked towards her broken doors leading to the outside. "Well? Get in here," she said.

And that's when Aya came walking in like she owned the place. "Excuse the intrusion," she dared to say with a smile. "Hello there, dear Reimu. Sorry to drop by like this, but I was just escorting this young man here."

"Bull, fucking, shit," I said angrily.

"It looks like he got a little too eager to see you and came plowing in without regard to what you might be doing," Aya said with the most bullshit chuckle I have ever heard.

"One day, Aya. One day…" I reminded her.

Reimu stomped her foot to get us to shut up. "I don't care. Just forget it ever happened," she said then turned to me. "You understand? Just forget everything you saw!"

"I will!" I exclaimed in fright. Now we know that's not going to happen, but I'll make the honest effort to.

Suddenly, I felt strange. My eye lids became awfully heavy and my legs quivered underneath me. My mind went fuzzy and I broke out into a cold sweat. I reached a hand up to my forehead, but even they were too heavy to lift. My entire body felt like they had weights attached to them. That's when I realized I was hit with ton of fatigue. I went to say something to the two girls, but I lost my balance and fell over, my vision going dark before I hit the floor.

* * *

The sound of burning fire had come to my ears. The cackling sounds nudged my eyes open. I found myself in that dark place again, the dream. The crosses aligned in a circle once again. Every single cross had a person nailed to it, but this time they were… burning. That's when the sounds of tortured screams hit me. My mind quaked with pain and agony from the noise. I moaned in anguish with those that burned, relief from the suffering nowhere in sight. In the center of a circle of crosses was another cross and to this cross was nailed Reimu, just as Remilia had said. She did not burn like the others, but her sorrowful cries were clear inside my head even among the screams. My body was stunned from the horrible cries, but I managed to force myself through them and towards Reimu. I felt that I had failed everyone, all accept for this one girl. If I could just save this one girl then maybe I could die with some solace.

The nails used to nail the poor girl to the cross glowed a divine light, but the mesmerizing light did not stop me from grabbing one in an attempt to rip it out. But the moment my hand touched the gleaming nail, my hand, no, my entire arm ignited in white fire, disintegrating them in an instant. I backed away from the cross, holding the stump that was once my arm screaming from the intense pain I had just experienced. I expected my arm to return to me thanks to my vampiric powers, but those powers seemed to have failed me that moment.

Cringing intensely from the pain, I felt a sudden ice cold presence behind me. I already knew what stood behind me. The pain still lingering in both mind and body, I was able to resist the agony enough to calm myself down. I then slowly turned around to face the evil presence. I was expecting to see the green-haired figure in fullness, but no, not this time. The person's face was still blurred from my vision. The evil entity said nothing to me and we seemed to just stare back at each other for some time. After what seemed like forever, a sudden pain struck my stomach before reaching around to my back. It felt like a snake was wrapping itself around me, constricting me with great strength. I struggled to break free from this invisible force as I stared at the dark person.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore. You hear me?! We've already won! You'll never get those nails! So just disappear already! Disappear and never show yourself again!" I yelled out into the dark.

It wasn't long before I was unable to breath. That's also when my vision went dark, the sounds of screaming and crying going silent. The dream came to a close, but not before I was able to give the dark presence the middle finger.

* * *

My eyes jolted open all of a sudden. Immediately I could tell that I had been sweating. The dream I just had did a number on me, but it didn't scare me. It can't anymore. It can haunt me for the rest of my undead life, but it'll never cause me fear ever again. I sighed in relief, still happy that the dream ended regardless.

I looked up to see someone looking down at me. It shocked me a little to see someone's face close to mine, but I calmed when I realized it was Reimu. She had such a nice face that it helped cool the shock I was still in from the dream. That's when I realized I was laying down, my head sat resting on her lap.

I made no attempt to move, being content with where I was. So I simply asked a question from where I was. "What happened?"

"You collapsed suddenly. You must have been awfully tired," Reimu said. "Why are you flying around if you were that tired?" She looked genuinely concerned.

"Well… I haven't slept in, like, a day or so. Been roaming around Gensokyo and got into some fights. I guess being a vampire doesn't excuse me from needing to sleep, huh?" I said with a smile.

The girl kindly smiled back. "No it doesn't," she said. She then nudged her leg, signaling me that my time resting on her soft lap had come to an end.

I sat myself up. "Thanks for that."

"It's fine. Just don't make it into a habit," she said.

"I'll try not to, heh." I looked around the room to find that Aya was no longer present.

"I made her leave," Reimu said, reading my mind.

"Oh, thank God…" I sighed in relief.

Reimu stood up and headed off to another room. "I'll get the tea and then you can tell me what brought you here," she said.

"Okey dokey…"

After a certain amount of time, Reimu came back out with a tea set and some tea. I wasn't a tea person but I was slowly becoming one thanks to all the good tea I've been having lately. We each drank our tea as I told her all the information that Lady Remilia wanted me to tell her. She casually listened to what I had to say, not ever looking concerned despite my concerning message. We were both finished with our tea by the time I was done talking.

"I see, I see," Reimu said. "This does concern me quite a bit. Remilia, that little rascal, having such powerful artifacts does make me want to go to her mansion, beat some sense into her and take those artifacts."

"I'm telling you that they are in good hands. Please understand that I only collected them to protect my master and everyone else," I said sternly.

"For some reason, I believe you, Isaac," Reimu said softly. "What truly bothers me is why Yukari gave up her nail to you."

"Why's that?"

"Because she never does something like that unless she has some kind of motive. What that motive could be, I have no idea. Even with my good intuition, I just cannot figure her out," she said.

"Well that's god damn concerning," I said with an obvious troubled look on my face.

Reimu stood up, picked up her tea set and returned it to her little kitchen. She came back out, her eyes glued on me. "If you don't mind, could you please leave, I got work to do."

"The door right? Let me help you," I said anxiously.

"No. I'll be fine, Isaac," she said with a calming smile.

With such a smile on her face, I couldn't bring myself to push her. So with that, I stood up and headed for the exit. Before I stepped outside, I turned to Reimu and smiled. "Thank you, Reimu. Once again, I promise that those nails will be kept safe."

She returned the smile. "I trust you. I don't know why, but I do. Don't betray that trust, got it?"

"I would never," I promised strongly.

With our goodbyes said, I left the shrine. I decided to chill for a moment and simply walked down the stone path, admiring the arches as I went under them. They were actually a captivating sight for sure. From what I had learned here, Reimu's shrine is a Shinto shrine and she a Shinto priestess. I never heard of Shinto before until I came to Gensokyo. It's something I should probably learn more about so I can understand the culture here better. Of course there's that Buddhist lady that I met near the Human Village. Guess I should learn about that also. I've also heard about something about a Taoist priestess. Never heard of a Taoist so there's another thing I need to learn about.

Thinking about all the things I needed to learn about Gensokyo, I ended up near the bottom of the stone steps. I was brought out of myself and back out to the world outside of me when I noticed someone with long, beautiful hair sitting on the last stone step. But I couldn't help but cringe when I noticed the hair's color. Of course it had to be yet another person with green hair. Why is green hair so common here? I couldn't find the answer and just decided to ignore it. So what if she had green hair? I got all three nails and they are safe and sound back at the mansion. Then and there, I was determined to not let green hair bother me anymore. That dark entity in my dreams could no long harm us. Fuck that entity right in the-

"Hello there. Am I in your way by any chance?" the woman said.

The anger I had for green hair suddenly vanished when I heard the person's lovely voice. I went to speak, but I fell silent when my eyes were captured by her's. They were absolutely stunning. Green was there color. Green isn't even my favorite color yet green eyes were perfect for this lady. For her clothe, she wore a purple t-shirt and purple jeans. I was quite surprise to see her wearing something that would come from the Outside World. I even went to question her, but I stumbled across my words like a total moron.

"A-are you b-by an-any cha-chance, um, uh…" Unable to get the full question out, I stood there like an idiot, clenching my fists at my sides in frustration with myself.

The girl, though, let out a charming giggle. "Such a cute boy you are. Are you just not used to talking with girls or am I just that dazzling?" she said as she swayed her sparkling hair.

A small smile escaped from me. Now I was blushing. I could feel it in my cheeks. "Sorry, I'm just… nervous for some reason."

This woman was at a completely different level when it came to beauty. All the girls I've met had their very own unique beauty about them, especially Lady Remilia. But this woman here… she made my heart race like none other could.

"Why don't you sit here next to me? I know that you're a new vampire. That kind of news travels fast here in Gensokyo," she said.

"You're not scared of me?" I asked.

"Fufu, should I be?" she asked with a daring smile.

I shook my head in disappointment with my inability to scare someone with my vampiric looks. "Nah, you shouldn't. Even after these few months, I've still got a lot to learn about being a vampire," I said then hesitantly sat next to the lady. Her presence alone made me quiver.

We sat there quietly for about a minute or two before I grew a pair and asked my question. "So… Do you come from the Outside World?" I asked.

"Hm? What makes you ask that?" she asked.

"Well, you're clothes. Those are definitely from outside of Gensokyo."

She looked down at herself then laughed. God damn it, it was such a cute laugh!

"Oh, I see. Yes, these clothes would make one think as such, huh?" She laughed some more. I couldn't help but smile widely. "Despite the clothes, no, no I do not come from the Outside World," she said.

"Well, they make you look cool," I suddenly complimented without much thought to it.

"Cool? Don't you mean beautiful?" she said with a mischievous grin.

"Both," I said, again without much thought given to what I was saying. I couldn't believe I said that out loud to a woman I just met.

"I thought so," she chuckled.

We sat there together and just bullshitted for a good while. We talked a lot about me and my adventures here in Gensokyo, but not much about her. I'd ask a question about her, but she would goof around it and avoid answering. It was so strange, but I didn't really care. I was just happy to be talking to her.

The feelings I had for this woman grew as we spent time together. I didn't understand these feelings. I have these same feelings already, but they're for Remilia. How could I possibly be love struck with another woman so fast? It baffled me, but I didn't care. I couldn't care. It was like there was something in me blocking the ability for me to care. It was odd for sure. But our time talking had come to a close.

The girl stood up and brushed her rear of dirt. "Sorry, but I need to get going," she said then patted my head. "Thank you for talking with me. I'm sure we will cross paths again at some point."

I stood up too and lent her my hand. She smiled again and happily took my hand. We shook hands and released. "It was great talking with you. Like you said, we'll see each other again." (And I would make damn sure of that) "Be safe."

She giggled. "We sure will."

She went to leave, but that was when I realized something. "Oh, wait!" I shouted and the woman turned around in response. I laughed a little. "We never told each other our names."

The girl looked shocked. "Oh my goodness. You are certainly right. How silly of me to forget," she said.

"I'm Isaac," I told her.

"And you may call me… Mima," the woman answered back.

Mima… A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.


End file.
